World War I

Wateringbury lost 41 men in WWI, listed on the war memorial in the church and with details about 34 of 41 given in WLHS publication Wateringbury People and Places. Wateringbury’s population in 1911 was 1,260 and in 1921 it was 1,171. In January 1917 the vicar's list of men serving showed 252 in land forces; 42 in sea forces; and 25 deaths to date (total 319). 41 deaths for Wateringbury represented 13% of the total mobilised; or 3% of the total population. For Britain as a whole (including Ireland) 11.8% of those mobilised were killed or 1.6% of the total population (see Niall Ferguson 's The Pity of War page 299).

Of the 34 we have details, there was only one death in 1914 that of Robert Head on 31st October 1914. There were 8 deaths in 1915; 9 in 1916; 7 in 1917; 8 in 1918; and 1 with no known date of death.

The majority of the deaths took place on the Western front but there were two in Turkey related to the Gallipoli campaign; two in Iraq and five at sea (of which one was at the Battle of Jutland).

Some items from WW I are to be found under other topics. Life immediately before the war is illustrated by the school's visit to Tovil Zoo under the topic of School; and the Boy Scouts camp at Margate is under the topic of Clubs and societies A report on Lieutenant Stevens death in action in 1915 under the topic People. The impact of the war on the hop industry in 1914 (abnormally prolific) , 1915 (difficulty getting nurses), 1916 (fewer men ; delinquent kids) and 1917 are to be found under the topic Hopping. The restructuring in 1915 of the Bread charities is to be found under the topic Poverty. Recruitment in the breweries in 1918 is under the topic Pubs & Breweries. The new Bow Bridge was opened in 1915 with the playing of the Russian national anthem and is to be found under the topic Transport .

A series of articles (of approximately 500 words each) on a chronological basis as published in Rostrum is available at World War 1 -chronology.