Scouts Memorial Service (1919)

Post date: Sep 25, 2017 9:4:44 PM

In the Church vestry is held a scrap book with newspaper cuttings marked "in Memory of Edgar Clarke-Smith". Some cuttings have a date handwritten beside them. Many are probably from the South Eastern Gazette. The following is marked as from 20.5.19:

SCOUTS MEMORIAL SERVICE

The Wateringbury Troop of Boy Scouts held an impressive Memorial Service for the five Wateringbury Scouts who fell during the great war, namely William Butcher1, Fred Gurr2, Fred Martin3, Percy Fuller4 and Walter Maytum5. The service was conducted by the Rev. F.M. Richards, who gave an excellent address. The District Commissioner (General Wingfield-Stratford) attended, and read the Lesson, and took the renewal of the Scouts' Promise in the Church, afterwards addressing a few words of appreciation to the Troop outside the Church before the Scouts and Cubs marched off. 

Notes: 

1. William Butcher, on both school and village memorial, was killed at the Somme in 1916. Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial.

2. Fred Gurr is on the school memorial but not the village one. Killed on western front in April 1918.Buried In Beuvry Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais. 

3. Fred Martin is on both the school and village memorial. He died on last day of war, 11th November 1918. Buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery. 

4. Percy Fuller is on the school memorial but not the village one. Killed in March 1918. Commemorated on Pozieres Memorial, Somme. 

5. Walter Maytum is on both the school and village memorial. Died March 1918. Commemorated on Pozieres Memorial, Somme. 

6. A service at Canterbury cathedral is reported at length by the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald of 3 May 1919 in memory of the 600 Kent scouts who fell. Attendance of 2,000 Kent Scouts reported. In listing are the names of the above 5 Wateringbury Scouts. Estimated 100,000 scouts joinrd up in england of which 10,000 killed.