Gillingham

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Burials at Gillingham New Cemetery
Research by Richard Smith into the lives and deaths of the CWGC War Casualties buried in Gillingham.

Burials from CWGC at Gillingham new Cemetery

COWARD A W or William Arthur Private No. O/6895 Royal Army Ordnance Corps.

Born in Gillingham in 1878 son of Arthur Coward, a coal miner who also died in 1878, and his wife Sarah Ann Wadman. In 1897 he had joined the Dorsetshire
Regiment serving in 2nd Boer War 1899 - 1902 in South Africa, then was released and in 1911 was living with his mother at Cemetery Road, Gillingham working
as a hotel ostler. He died registered at Shaftesbury (details not found - was it at home of war wounds ?) on 24th October 1919 and was buried in
grave No. 145 on the 27th.

DOWLAND Arthur Driver No. 7 / 29309 Army Service Corps (Heavy Transport).

Born in Bourton, Dorset in June 1884 son of Arthur William Dowland, a dairyman on a farm, and his wife Mary Marie Lydford. In 1911 they were living at Culvers
Corner, Gillingham, but Arthur Jnr. was absent - I have failed to find him or if he had already enlisted. He died at home on 4th April 1915 (I failed also to find
if that was as a result of war wounds or illness) and was buried on the 9th in grave No. 6. 267.

FLETCHER Harry Luke Corporal No. 200165 1st/4th Dorsetshire Regiment.

Born in Gillingham about April 1889 son of James Fletcher, a farm labourer, and his wife Mary Ann Hacker. In 1911 the family were living at Cold Harbour, Wyke
Road, Gillingham and Harry was working as a printer. He died on 5th April 1919 whilst on demob furlough, was it of war wounds - no cause of death was found.
He was buried in grave No. 669 on the 10th.

HAZLEWOOD Richard Rifleman No. R/ 13868 King's Royal Rifle Corps.

Born in Camden, London in April 1892 son of George Hazlewood, a railway engine driver who died in London in 1911, and his wife Sarah Ann Woodward. Richard
enlisted in London on 5th June 1916, but died of broncho-pneumonia at Station Road Hospital at Gillingham on 12th November 1918. He was buried on the 16th
in grave No. 594. His mother Sarah Ann was living at 4 St Pancras Almshouses, Kentish Town, London.

INKPEN W - I think is William Charles Farrier Sergeant No. 39060 23rd Northumberland Battery Royal Field Artillery

Born in Sturminster Newton, Dorset about October 1864, son of William Inkpen, a mason, and his wife Elizabeth Porter. He married Helena Sarah Redwood at
Naas, Ireland in December 1886, maybe during an earlier period of Army service I did not find. In 1891 he was a farrier at Mile End, London, in 1901 at
Tottenham and then in 1911 at Highbury. He died at Plane House Hospital, Gillingham - cause not found and was buried in grave No. 596.

KIDDLE Clifford Henry Evan Cadet No. 184106 Royal Air Force

Born in East Stour, Dorset on 10th November 1900 son of Frederick Kiddle, a school teacher, and his wife Martha Jane Hicks. In 1911 they were living at
Penselwood School House, Penselwood, Bourton, Bath, Somerset. It seems Clifford joined the RAF as a cadet on 8th October 1918 but died at Eltham, Kent on
20th November 1918. I could not find a cause of his death but he was buried on the 23rd in grave No. 637.

KINGHAM C H is Charles Harry Stoker 1st Class HMS Fury Royal Navy.

Born in Woolwich, Kent in March 1919 where his father was serving in the Royal Navy, from 1915 to 1927 when he joined the Royal Naval Reserve. In 1939 he was
a railway gang worker living in Shaftesbury. His first wife Dorothy Elizabeth Devenish died in 1925 and at some point he married again to Rosa Martha White.
The death on 26th October 1942 of Charles Junior was registered at Sturminster - did he die in Hospital there as I failed to find the cause, but he was buried
on 29th in grave No. 735. His father died in Salisbury in 1944.

MILDENHALL Harry Private No. 16777 Royal Army Service Corps then Labour Corps (Irish Command Lab. Centre No. 306966).

Born in Eton, Buckinghamshire in October 1873 son of George Henry Mildenhall, a gardener who died in 1919, and his wife Harriet Sophia Comley who died in 1908.
On 14th April 1906 at Holy Trinity church, Oxford he married Annie Sophie Berridge, and in 1911 they were living at 6 Mill Street, Kidlington, Oxfordshire. Harry
enlisted on 16th September 1915 but died three years later at 8.15 p.m. on 16th September 1918 at Station Road Hospital, Gillingham. Army records say
he died of cardiac dilation after bronchitis, and he was buried on 19th in grave 595.

PERRY Hedley James Private No. 31564 9th Battalion Devonshire Regiment.

Born in Camborne, Cornwall in October 1898 son of John Perry, a farm labourer, and his wife Teresa Virginia Richards Jeffery (known as Thirza). In 1911 the family were
living at 15 Trehidy Road at Camborne. Hedley died at Gillingham Military Hospital on 4th December 1918 of septicaemia (was that from war wounds ?) and was buried
on 7th in grave No. 638. His mother Thirza was living at "Chyvelah House" in Camborne.

PHRIPP Arthur Thornton 2nd Lieutenant.

Born in Gillingham in August 1894, son of Frederick Charles Phripp, a farmer and his wife Kate Coyle. In 1910 he signed on as a boy clerk with the Post Office,
before enlisting as Private No. 1800 in London Regiment (1st Surrey Rifles), then promoted to Sergeant. Commission as a 2nd Lt. in Duke of
Wellington's Own West Riding Regiment on 25th September 1917. He and his mother Kate were both killed at Piccadilly Circus, London ("killed by hostle air craft" according
to his memorial inscription, the last Zeppelin raid of the War) on 19th October 1917 and were both buried on the 24th, he in grave No. 561. Probate granted to his father
on 3rd July 1918 was for £133. 9s. 6d. The family lived at Slaughtergate Farm, Gillingham.

SMITH Harold Captain M. C. No. 10299 8th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery.

Born on 27th February 1890 but I have not found his parents. He married Hilda Ashman at Clutton, Somerset in January 1920, and in 1939 they were living at 7 Fish Row,
Salisbury, Wiltshire with Harold listed as a hotel proprietor. I did not find details of his earlier military service or the award of his Military Cross. He
died at Salisbury on 17th January 1945, cause not found, and was buried on the 20th in grave 1857 - his probate to Hilda on 12th March 1945 was for £3,172. 0s. 2d.

STREET Frederick Driver No. T/ 356177 No. 2 Heavy Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps, Woolwich

Born in Gillingham on 22nd December 1882, son of James John Street, a labourer who died in March 1917, and his wife Lyitt Gibbs who died in 1924. In October 1908 at
Yeovil, Somerset he married Mary Lilian White and in 1911 they were living at Milton Lane, Gillingham, whilst Frederick worked as a domestic gardener. He died at Brook
War Hospital, Woolwich, cause not found, on 29th October 1917 and was buried in grave No. 645 on the 5th November. His widow Mary was living at Wyke, Gillingham.

TAYLOR William John Gunner No. 47340 "B" Battery 116th Brigade Royal Field Artillery

Born in St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands on 17th August 1883 son of John Lebanon Taylor, a Sergeant in Royal Artillery and his wife Margaret Noel, who had married
at St. Helier in June 1882. It seems William enlisted in Lancers of the Line in Jersey No. 5759 in 1901. He died at Red Cross Hospital at Gillingham on 16th
January 1915, cause not found, and was buried in grave No. 597 on the 19th. His father died at Plumstead Infirmary, Surrey shortly after on 16th March 1915.
His widow Margaret was living at 251 Whitehouse Lane, South Norwood, Surrey.

THICK William Charles Private No. 7218 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment.

Born in Gillingham on 26th August 1886 son of Henry Thick, a coal carter, and his first wife Fanny Gray who died in 1892. Henry then married Harriet Emma Lye at
Gillingham in August 1893. It seems William had served in 3rd Dorset Reserves before enlisting on 19th April 1904 in the Dorsetshire Regiment. He married
Eliza Alice Belgin at Gillingham in April 1914, but by May/June 1915 was suffering from rheumatism and then pleurisy, and on 8th June 1915 was transferred back to
England. He died in Norfolk War Hospital, Norwich on 2nd July 1915 of war wounds and illness, and was buried in grave No. 610 on the 8th. His father and step-mother
are living at Culvers Corner, Gillingham. His widow Eliza was living at 13 Harold Street, Roach, Cardiff, South Wales.

WALLACE George Private No. 14168 8th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers.

Born in Marybank, Glasgow, Scotland about 1892 and Army records show he had a father James, and brothers James and William but I still could not pin down his family.
He died at Leatham Red Cross Hospital, Gillingham on 14th (Army Effects records say 11th) April 1915 and was buried on the 17th in grave No. 598.

WILLETTS James Henry Private No. 354386 Labour Corps.

He died at Peacemarsh, Gillingham on 25th November 1918 (no cause found) and was buried in grave No. 639 on the 29th. Tracking James and a family proved
very tricky - there was another James Henry Willetts who died exactly a year earlier 25 November 1917 born in Malvern, Worcestershire! I think James was
born about April 1881 in Dudley, Staffordshire to James and Elizabeth Willetts. In 1918 his father James was living at 30 Roseberry Street, Springhill, Birmingham.

March 2025

Richard Smith

orchidgrower@btinternet.com

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