Medway Archives Centre has teamed up with volunteers across Medway to keep the memories of Medway’s military personnel and civilians who lost their lives during World War Two.
Earlier this summer, Medway Archives Centre put out a call for volunteers to help with the Medway Remembers project – with 20 local residents coming forward to take part and research and record the stories of names found on war memorials found across Medway.
The project kicked off with the volunteers attending an introductory session with the team at Medway Archives Centre (MAC). As well as discussing the online resources available through MAC, including access to Ancestry, FindMyPast and the British Newspaper Archive, the volunteers had an introduction to the MAC collections to help aid their research.
Each volunteer selected a memorial in Medway to research – looking into the names listed to learn the story behind the name.
Commemorate their bravery and sacrifice
Cllr Nina Gurung, Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and Leisure, said: “Medway has a long and proud military history, and this profoundly meaningful project has seen remarkable volunteers work with our archives team to identify and document the lives of some brave people from Medway who made the ultimate sacrifice – including some at very young age – to secure our freedom and way of life. I would like to thank everyone who have given their time to this important project – and though it isn’t yet finished, we have already seen stories uncovered which commemorate their bravery and sacrifice. We are determined to ensure that Medway will always remember them."
So important for people to remember
Helen Main, one of the project volunteers researching the names on the Luton memorial, said: “I’ve found families that have been researching and have recorded a date of death for their loved one, but don’t know the circumstances which is quite sad really. I just feel it is so important for people to remember, these people have given their lives – I just feel so humble doing it. It is a great honour to look into their lives, and I think I am on a journey with them.”
The project is ongoing, with research still being submitted. Next year, a website will be launched to bring all of the photos, research and stories the volunteers have uncovered into one place. Following the launch, it is hoped that local historians, families and researchers will be able to continue to help uncover some of the stories that have been difficult to research.
Tracy Smith-Dance is another of the volunteers taking part in Medway Remembers. As well as submitting one of her own family stories, she has been researching names from Medway war memorials too.
Feel privileged to be able to record these stories
Speaking about the project, Tracy said: “I have been researching my family tree for more than 20 years and enjoy being the family history detective. I retired earlier this year, and at the same time I saw the Medway Remembers project was looking for volunteers – so it was perfect timing.
“I have a great-aunt who sadly passed away during an air raid in Stood during WW2, and it has been a privilege to be able to submit her story to the project. I’m also researching some local WW2 memorials as part of the project, which has been tricky at times but immensely interesting – again, I feel privileged to be able to record these stories.”
Some of the stories uncovered so far
The Medway Remembers project is giving identities to those individuals who were previously just names on a memorial. Here are the stories of just a few. On Remembrance Day this year, we will remember them.
Francis Philip Pilkington
Francis Philip Pilkington CWGC headstone in St Margaret's churchyard, Rainham
Francis Philip Pilkington was a sergeant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and whilst on a practice flight off Saunton Sands in Devon, his aircraft sideslipped into the sea. He died on 30 August 1941, aged just 19.
Cyril Harwick Beet
Caption: Old Anchorians Memorial, Gillingham.
The Old Anchorians Memorial records the names of 65 Old Anchorians, or former staff and pupils of Gillingham County or Grammar School, who lost their lives during World War Two.
Among the men listed is Cyril Harwick Beet, who was a Royal Marine policeman based at Chatham Dockyard in 1939. By 1942 he was a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in Libya. Cyril was reported ‘missing, presumed killed’ on 18 January 1942 after his plane was lost after taking off from Egypt. He was 21 years old.
Maurice Flanagan
Memorial in St James’s church, Isle of Grain.
Maurice Flanagan was based on the Isle of Grain and was a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
On 21 July 1944 he was shot down just west of Schoppingen during a nighttime raid on Bottrop in Germany. As well as appearing on the memorial in St James church on the Isle of Grain, he also has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. He was aged 23.