Website for the Centenary Service.

I have set up a website on the Yahoo Groups site for the purpose of helping to locate families related to crew on HMS Kent that day.   It is also hoped to use it to disseminate information about the centenary and allow us at the cathedral to plan for expected numbers.

It is not in competition with John Valentine's remarkable site, indeed without his help, support, and encouragement, we would never have got as far as a centenary service.   The site will only operate for the remainder of 2014.

May I invite all to join it, you will then receive automated e-mails to keep you up to date - and you will be invited to join us in Canterbury in December if you are able to make the journey.

The site can be found at:

https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Battle_of_the_Falkland_Islands_1914/info

Message me with an e-mail address and I'll send you an invite.

Best wishes to all

Adrian

Centenary of the Battle - BREAKING NEWS!

An update for one and all on the Battle of the Falkland Islands.

I can now confirm that there will be a Service of Commemoration to mark the centenary of the battle and the lives lost on HMS Kent, in Canterbury Cathedral, on 8th December 2014.

It is our most sincere wish to trace families who are descendants of the crew, so that they may be invited to attend the service if they are able to travel to Kent.

May I please ask readers of this forum to help if they can by spreading this bit of good news? I would appreciate it if families could be asked to message me with an e-mail address on here and I will contact them with details.

There should be plenty of room for any other serving or ex-RN personnel who would like to attend. Please get in touch with me.

Many thanks!

The Enemy Fought Splendidly

Came across this interesting titled little book, it is a diary account of Surgeon TB Dixon who served on HMS Kent and gives an eye witness account of the Battle of the Falklands and life on board the ship, just got my copy today (via Amazon) also has a few photos of crew life aboard the ship.


Tony

Think I've got it right this time!

As promised a photo of Leading Stoker Reginald Wells, by kind permission of Effingham Local History Group.

As I mentioned in a an earlier posting this photo turned up in an old album in Effingham, if you compare the photo of Reginald Wells to the few photos I have posted on this site earlier, esp the one of the three sailors together I am 99% certain that this is the same chap in who appears in the few photos I have, plus given the dates and info I have noted earlier.

Tony

HMS Kent and Canterbury Cathedral.

Good afternoon.

I am a volunteer guide in Canterbury Cathedral and I am preparing a document on HMS Kent and her part in the battle, to mark the centenary next year.   Much of the material gathered so far is freely available on the web, but our aim is to reflect the people involved.   Might I ask if any of you who had relatives on HMS Kent would be willing to pass on any family oral history about daily life on the ship or the battle itself?

I am also researching in the cathedral archives to try to find out what happpened to the flags that were laid up in the cathedral in 1916.   They are not on show and nobody knows what has happened to them.   If anyone can shine any light on that mystery it would be much appreciated.

Many thanks to John Valentine for all the help he has given me.

Kind regards to all

Adrian Beaumont

Photo search

Just thought I'd post a story relevant to HMS Kent but with a twist....

Had posted some of the few photos I have of my Great Uncle taken when he served on HMS Kent on this blog in the past, in nearly all the photos I have there was a fellow stoker who looked slightly younger but of course there was no names or such info, just faded photos.

As I have mentioned before my Great Uncle served on Kent for nearly most of WW1 before being promoted to Stoker Petty Officer and posted to HMS Glatton, a monitor which had just been re-fitted in a hurry to take part in the final stages of the war,unfort this ship met with a tragic accident by exploding in Dover harbour and had to be sunk to prevent other ships catching fire and destroying the town of Dover itself, there was a lot of casualties with many men dying a week or so later of their wounds, my Great Uncle was one of those listed as missing, presumed killed.

Last October I was just going a Google search on HMS Glatton when I came across a website giving details of of one of Glatton's victims, Leading Stoker Reginald Wells who came from Effingham, the website was a local history group who had researched the war service records of local men, in the case of Reginald Wells I noted that he joined HMS Kent he same day as My Great Uncle did back in 1914 and stayed on Kent before transferring to HMS Glatton... the same day as my Great Uncle!

Intrigued by their common background I was fairly certain that they would have known each other and contacted the local secertary of the group explaining my interest, also attached some of my photos hoping that they might have some of Reginald Wells to compare them but unfort while they agreed with my theory they didn't have any photos.

So the story rested there-  until last month when I received an email from the local history group in Effingham, they had being loaned an old photo album of photos taken by a local lady who took photos of all the serving service men from Effingham at the time and who also had the foresight at the time to note each person's name  on the back of each photo, the one photo they had confirmed of Reginald Wells is the same chap who appears in my photos, after all these years I  can actually put a name to this other sailor, hope to post the photo sent to me by the group for comparsion, just have to get their permission first.

Best regards

Tony

Kent's colours

Hi All

Was just surfing on the net ( don't know where I get the time!) and came across a British pathe news reel clip showing a 1916 military parade of HMS Kent's battle scarred flag from the Falklands battle being laid up in Canterbury catherdral, it is a short clip but shows some of the crew carrying the flag into the catherdral, simply go to www.britishpathe.com or google HMS Kent 1914-1918.

best regards

Topcat

Lieut. Walter Randall Tilling RNR War Grave

word of mouth

Hi All

I have read over the years different versions of the battle of the Falklands and the sinking of the Dresden in Cumberland Bay. Do you have any word of mouth versions from your families. The one i have is from my Father from my grandfather (stoker on the Kent) is that they screwed the safety valves down on the boilers to get more steam. Is this possible? and does anyone know who fired first in Cumberland Bay?

Cheers Keith

My grandfather, Victor Hilary Danckwerts, served on HMS Kent and was married in 1915. The officers presented the couple with a signed salver with their signature engraved upon it.

Images posted on behalf of Anthony Wright, whose father, Harold William Standen Wright, served on HMS Kent during the 1914-18 war.

This document was posted on behalf of Mr Anthony Wright whose father, Harold William Standen Wright, served as a Midshipman on HMS Kent during the 14-18 war.

A few more photos

Hi

Just thought I would post a few of the old photos I have, this one appears to be of two young girls dressed up in sailor uniforms, no info as to where and when it was taken, the original photo isn't much bigger than a matchbox, I originally posted it on a naval website where it caused much debate if the 'sailors' were either young men or girls, final opinion was that it was 2 young girls dressed up.

The 2 smaller photos, again no info as to names or where they were taken, my Greatuncle is the sailor on the right of the picture, no info on the other sailor although he does appear in other photos.

The 3 sailors, again unfort. no info but it looks as if they had either had a hard day or the weather was hot.

all the photos I have are from an old family album which is in my cousin's keeping, luckily I was able to borrow it and scan the phots as the album hasn't really been looked after over the years and most of the photos are in a fragile condition.

Tony

The picture shows a fragment of what was left of HMS Kent's ensign following the battle of the Falklands Dec 8th 1914.   The slip of paper attached to it is in my grandfather's original handwriting.   Harry Colin Fleming was Sgt of marines (gunnery) on the Kent.   There was practically nothing left of the flag, as can be seen in the photograph.

Posted by Mike Flemming

Finally made it !

Hi John and the rest of the group who have posted some interesting photos of HMS Kent and her crew.

Apologies for not following the earlier links to join, always seem to be doing some decorating around the place.

My Greatuncle, R Genee ( served as Gence) was a stoker on HMS Kent from October 1914 until June 1918 by which time he was promoted to Stoker Petty Officer; he then joined the ill fated ship HMS Glatton which blew up in Dover harbour in September 1918 and was one of many of the crew who lost their lives in the explosion.

I have a few old photos which I'll post onto the site, have attached one of a watercolour of HMS Kent sinking the Nurnberg, the picture was given to me by my Mother's elderly cousin who remebered my Greatuncle coming back on his final leave before he was killed.

Topcat

More unknown

HMS Kent ?

Maybe HMS Kent, my Grandad is left hand middle row keys on belt (Wallace Van Assen)