After months of research by Ashford historian David Hughes, we have been provided with a complete list of Upchurch war dead. This new list is in addition to those already listed inside St. Mary’s church, Upchurch.
The list also includes those who died in August 16th 1944, when a train crashed near the Oak Lane railway bridge, Upchurch. None of these were Upchurch residents although one person came from Rainham.
The new list also includes, George Henry Corbett a Canadian pilot buried in St. Mary’s churchyard and George Willson Sellen. He died during the Second Boer War, is buried in South Africa and has a memorial in St. Mary’s churchyard.
Mr Hughes has provided a detailed background on those listed in both the old & new lists.
The aim of the project is to canvas local residents on thoughts for a civic war memorial sited somewhere in the village. It is not uncommon for names to be missing from war memorial plaques. As residents we have to decide what to do with this new information and whether as a village we respect those who died fighting for their country and mark this with a civic war memorial containing a complete list.
Please post any comments you would like to make below.
The Upchurch War Memorial Project
The Upchurch War Memorial Project
Historian David Hughes has compiled a complete new list of Upchurch war dead. His research for the village is original and is sourced from personal interviews, work on the Internet, official record searches and book references. He has been providing this service for villages in Kent for over fifty years.
The Kent War Memorial Transcription Project is Kent’s most comprehensive online civic memorial record. Covering all Kent boroughs, districts and parishes including some South London areas that were in Kent in 1920.
David has dedicated his life to this project; his research is behind many of the new war memorials appearing in Kent in recent years. As village residents we are very grateful for his work, not only confirming those already named but also providing new names and historic notes on each named person.
The complete listing will be a valuable reference resource for the village for many future generations.
David Hughes own website:
Kent Fallen.
To remember ALL those who died
George Henry Corbett, RAF Pilot Officer 81366. Died 8/10/1940 aged 20, crashed near Upchurch buried St. Mary’s churchyard.
Stuart William Mercer, Stoker 2nd Class Royal Navy K/54268. Died 28/11/1918 aged 28 buried St. Mary’s churchyard.
George Willson Sellen, Private 2294 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards. Died 16/12/1900 aged 30. Buried in South Africa, fought in the Second Boer War. Memorial in St. Mary’s churchyard.