Horses in the First World War Written by Pam Preedy. We sometimes forget that horses were essential to the Army during World War One. Much attention has been focused on the dreadful conditions and sufferings of the men in the trenches, yet the suffering was shared by the horses as seen in the book, play and film War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. All the armies used horses and mules. At the outbreak of war, there were 25,000 horses at the disposal of the British Army. Under the Horse Mobilisation Scheme of…
Tag: Bromley
The First Boys of Bromley Who Went Away to War
The First Boys of Bromley Who Went Away to War Busy scenes in Bromley (BDT 7th August 1914) After weeks of speculation and mounting tensions, on Tuesday 4th August 1914, at 8am, the German Army invaded Belgium. Britain leapt to defend their little ally and an ultimatum was immediately sent to Germany to withdraw its troops. When no response was received by 11pm that evening, Britain declared war on Germany. The men of Bromley were ready to play their part in the forthcoming war. Many were already trained for battle…
The 1944 Education Act & Bromley Technical High School for Girls
The 1944 Education Act & Bromley Technical High School for Girls Written by Pam Preedy. The 1944 Education Act was groundbreaking. It replaced the previous education system with three separate stages that we would recognise today: primary, secondary and further education. It also introduced a three-tiered system to secondary education: grammar, technical and secondary modern schools. The dreaded 11+ test was introduced to decide which type of secondary school a child should enter. The Act also provided for the raising of the school leaving age from 14 to 15; this…
Basham Brothers Missing, 1942
Basham Brothers Missing in Action It must have been bad enough having one son go missing in action, but it must have been almost unbearable having two. This article featured in the Bromley & District Times local newspaper, reporting on two brothers who were reported missing after the fall of Singapore in 1942. The brothers were the sons of Benjamin and Rose Basham of Bromley. Bennett Thomas Basham was married to Constance Elsie (of Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk) who was living with his mother during the war. Both brothers were members…
Bromley High Street
Bromley High Street Written by Pam Preedy. Bromley High Street has been constantly changing through time. Shops come; shops go, reflecting changing tastes, fashions and time. The market started life in 1205, granted by King John at the manor of Bromley and became a feature of Bromley life. I remember it; a busy market at Station Road car park by Bromley North Station. In 2012 it was relocated to the High Street. The Glades changed the landscape behind the High Street and opened on 22nd October, 1991. When it was…
Ronald Frederick Leonard Tong
Pilot Officer Awarded The Distinguished Flying Cross Pilot Officer R.F.L. Tong Among a number of awards approved by the King is the Distinguished Flying Cross to Pilot Officer Roland Frederick Leonard Tong, Royal Air Force, Volunteer Reserve, No. 57 Squadron. Born in Bromley in 1917, he is the son of Mr and Mrs P.C. Tong, S, Upper Park Road, and an Old Boy of the county School, Hayes Lane. Afterwards he was on the staff of the West Minister Bank (Lower Sloane Street branch). He enlisted in June 1940, and…
A Romp through the History of Bromley
A romp through the history of Bromley Written by Pam Preedy. On 15th December, 1922, the Bromley and District Times announced that a Mammoth’s tooth, about five feet long, had been discovered in a gravel pit at Green-Street-Green. It seems quite amazing that mammoths were roaming over our local landscape until the end of the Ice Age over 12,000 years ago. Perhaps early people living in Bromley would go out to hunt one of these huge mammals, or an early species of rhinoceros and hippopotamus. Throughout human history people must…
Night’s Heavy Blitz – April 1941
Night’s Heavy Blitz – April 1941 This report describes the aftermath of a heavy night of bombing on the town of Bromley in Kent on 16th April 1941. Due to government censorship of newspapers at the time, no exact location is given, other than a South-East residential location, but we now know this location to be Bromley, St Peter’s and St Pauls’ as the parish church which was destroyed, and the furniture depository being Dunn’s of Bromley which was located on Market Square. Heavy Bombs and Incendiaries in a residential…
Arthur James Smith
Presumed Killed Lieutenant A.J. Smith In June 1940, Mrs Smith, 58 Freeland Road, Bromley, received news that her husband, Lieutenant A.J. Smith, The Buffs, was missing, believed killed. He was serving in France in May of that year, and when last seen was wounded. A communication has now been received by Mrs Smith stating that her husband is presumed to have been killed in action in May 1940. Lieutenant Smith, the son of Mr. W. Smith, 28 north Road, Bromley, served in the last warm and was wounded. In 9123…
W. J. Bennett, Acting Leading Seaman
Missing Acting Leading Seaman W. J. Bennett Acting Leading-Seaman W.J. Bennett, who has been posted missing, is the son of Mr and Mrs Bennett, 41 Gundolph Road, Bromley. He joined the Royal Navy after leaving the Royal Naval School, Greenwich, and was at Singapore when the Japanese captured that place. Every endeavour is being made to ascertain what has happened to him and others left behind at Singapore. They may be prisoners of war. Mr and Mrs Bennett have had a letter from the British Red Cross Society and Order…