Let there be light

I visited a number of local communities during the Armistice Centenary weekend earlier this month - to see the commemorations to mark the end of the First World War.

I ended my touring on the evening of Sunday 11th November at the site of the old Grain Fort, on the Isle of Grain, where St. James (Isle of Grain) Parish Council had organised the lighting of a special beacon, in conjunction with St. James Church and Kent Fire & Rescue Service (Grain).

The event was well attended by villagers, and was part of the nationwide 'Beacons of Light' tribute/commemoration.

The above image is poor quality, but I only had my phone camera available. To give you a better idea about what the Beacon actually looked like - here's a clearer image of one.

The Beacons symbolised the 'light of hope' that emerged from the darkness of four years of dreadful war.
 

WW1: Remembering each and every one

I’ve written before about my local ancestors William Watson (from Stoke) and Harry Stratford (from St. Mary Hoo), who were killed during the First World War.

Next month will be the centenary of the end of the First World War (Armistice). You’ve probably already heard about many activities, events and commemorations taking place across the country.

The Royal British Legion, in partnership with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, has developed something called Every One Remembered, a project to individually commemorate over one million Commonwealth service men and women who were killed during the First World War. The losses were felt in almost every town and village in the UK and throughout what was then the British Empire.

Every One Remembered is an opportunity for you to be part of a great collective act of Remembrance.

I believe the project is only accessible online, so if you’re not online you’ll need to enlist the help of a friend or family member. Then visit the dedicated website where you can choose to commemorate someone you know - a relative or person on your local war memorial - or commemorate someone randomly selected for you. There is also an optional opportunity for you to make a donation to support the Royal British Legion’s work with the Armed Forces community.

I’ve added an entry for my ancestor William Stephen Watson. He lived in Lower Stoke on the Hoo Peninsula. It only took a few minutes to complete the entry. I couldn’t add a photo of William as I don’t have one. I only have a brief description of him on his military record - I sadly don’t know what he looked like.

If you’d like to share photos and stories about any local ancestors who fought in the First World War please get in touch using the contact panel on the right.
 

Centenary of the Armistice

The centenary of the end of the First World War will be in November and many commemorations are being planned up and down the country. I’ll be including more details about these on this blog in the coming months.

In the meantime, a local list of events, projects and activities to commemorate the centenary is being compiled by the quarterly Strood & Hoo Peninsula Times and the monthly Village Voices Community Magazine. The full list will be published in these two publications later in the year.

If representatives of local groups would like to ensure that their activities to commemorate the centenary of the Armistice is recorded on the list, it is essential for them to get in touch by writing to Village Voices Publishing, PO Box 692, Rochester, Kent, ME1 9LN. Or information can be emailed by clicking here.

I will be regularly featuring items relating to the First World War in my local history column published in the monthly Village Voices Community Magazine. I'll also be sharing on this blog more research I have recently undertaken into the life of my ancestor William Watson (from the village of Lower Stoke), who was killed during the First World War. 

Remembering William Watson

Back in November 2011 I visited Arras in northern France to see the grave of a relative who was killed in action during the First World War.

A resident of the small settlement of Stoke here on the Hoo Peninsula, William Stephen Watson was my great grandfather’s nephew. He was only 21 when he was killed, on 17th February 1917 during the Battle of Miraumont.

With the passing of this centenary, I hope I will get the opportunity to visit Arras again in the near future.

Click here to view the full account of my 2011 visit to Arras.