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…
Month: October 2022
Captain Gilbert W Murlis Green
Captain Gilbert Ware Murlis Green Highly decorated Officer Captain Gilbert W. Murlis Green was the son of Mr & Mrs J. W. Murlis Green, born in London on the 24th January 1895. His family were from Beckenham. Gilbert joined the army in 1914 and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps the following year. He was a Royal Air Force career officer credited with eight aerial victories and was highly decorated for this. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Serbian Order of Karageorge for duties effectively accomplished and for…
William Bernard Bingham
William Bernard Bingham Killed whilst on service William Bernard Bingham was born at West Stoke and was the son of John and Alice Bingham. William was married to Charlotte Jean Bingham, of 2, St. Mary’s Cottage, Hayes, Kent, and was formerly chauffeur to Lady Laidlow of Warren House, Hayes for 8 years, before enlisting as a 2nd-class Air Mechanic with the Royal Air Corps., in April 1916. Sadly he was killed in an accident while serving. On the 5th July 1916, William was working on a stationary Mechanical Transport when…
Second-Lieu F. G. W. Marchant
Second Lieutenant Francis George Wake Merchant Killed in Action Second Lieutenant Francis George Wake Marchant served with the 3rd Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and was the only son of Frank and Torfrida Marchant, of Woodside, Keston (Hayes), Kent. Born in London on the 4th March 1897, he was educated at Ludgrove and Eton. Having proceeded to Sandhurst in May, 1915, Francis obtained a commission in the Royal West Kent Regiment on 19th October, 1915 and immediately volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps. After 5 months training went overseas…
Staff-Sergeant J.W. Filby
Staff-Sergeant J.W. Filby News has been received that Staff-Sergeant J. W. Filby, eldest son of Mr and Mrs J. Filby, 11 Turpington Lane, Bromley Common is among the missing in Singapore. A native of Bromley, he was educated at the Church School, Bromley Common, afterwards going to the Beckenham Trade School. He joined the East Surrey Regiment in April, 1933, and went to the Far East in 1938, going first to Singapore and then to Shanghai with the British troops, he returned to Singapore, and later went to Malaya. The…
Women to Help Home guard
Women to Help Home Guard Casualty Service Training More volunteers wanted in Bromley Arrangements have now been completed for the training of women to assist with the Casualty Services of the Home Guard in the Bromley area. It is not intended that these women shall go out to attend to casualties in the fighting positions, but that they shall staff shelter points in selected houses to which casualties will be brought to await removal by ambulance to hospital. As, under invasion conditions there may be delays in procuring evacuation by…