Wounded in action (1918)

Post date: May 01, 2014 10:22:24 AM

Report in Kent Messenger of 28th September 1918

Pte. E. Jenner (Teston),

Royal Fusiliers.

SERIOUSLY WOUNDED.

Pte. E. Jenner, Royal Fusiliers, the only son of Mr. E. Jenner, of Teston and Wateringbury (who is himself in the Army), has been re­ported seriously wounded on August 23rd, while in action in France. He joined the Army in January at the age of 18. and was after­wards posted to the Middlesex Regiment, going to France in June, when he transferred, or attached, to the Royal Fusiliers. Before joining the Army he was employed as footman to Mr. A. M. Fleet, High Sheriff, Darenth Grange, Dartford. He also took a great interest in the Boy Scouts, and was for some time Patrol Leader in the Teston Troop. Mr. E. Jenner, father of the wounded man, who formerly had a business as carrier from Teston and Wateringbury to Maidstone, joined up in 1914, enlisting in his old regiment— the Royal West Kents— in which he served in South Africa, receiving two medals and five bars. Pte. Jenner is at present with the Hampshire Regiment. A letter from the son to the father reads:

“ As you know I am in dock, like a good many more- I was hit on the 22nd. We went, over the top at 6.30 a.m. on the morning of the 21st, the commencement of this little push. Of course, you cannot hear the enemy’s shells for our own barrage. We went, over in artillery formation, with our two gun teams. A shell dropped alongside soon after we went over and knocked over the two in front of me and wounded one or two behind. I was blown in the air, and it sounded like thousands of electric bells in my ears caused by my tin hat. It clipped a bit off my ear, spattered my face a bit and caused my right eye to keep running. They put me into a Lewis Gun

team every time we went into the line. We retired over a mile, and I dropped into a shell hole, done for. At evening two of us were working up through a wood to the battalion when I got this. It has properly messed my nose up, but I think they will make a good job of it when they start on it. I’ve given you an idea of my part in the push; I am afraid it was short, but quite long enough.”

Edward Jenner was born in Teston in 1900 to Edward and Sarah Jenner.