First World War - Lynsted Memorial Project
INTRODUCTION
Our Society took part in the Imperial War Museum Partnership Project, although our research began three years earlier. Through our Parish Magazine, we published each story of Lynsted with Kingsdown men on the anniversary of their death. We also published to this website, all the stories of casualties from the eight parishes that come together in the Kingsdown and Creekside Ecclesiastical Parish - Lynsted with Kingsdown, Teynham, Norton, Newnham, Doddington, Wychling, Oare and Luddenham. Our Clergy remembered each casualty in services closest to the anniversary of each death. The extended research, beyond the Commemoration of our own Parish, was undertaken by Nigel Heriz-Smith.
The stories marked the passage of the war from 1914 to Armistice Day. Additionally, this Project documents a number of casualties who died after The Armistice. So it was that the Cluster lost nine more men from wounds or disease inflicted during The Great War from 23rd November 1918 to 25th August 1920.
Return of the Unknown Warrior 1920, local newspaper reports the passage through Kent on 10th November 1920, for interment in Westminster Cathedral on 11th November 1920.
Alongside the stories of our casualties, we created monthly "Home News" pages on this website including newspaper extracts and other documents to shed light on how the war was understood at home.
The Project remains open for updates or new material discovered that can be included in updates to all the stories on this website. So, if you have stories or other material from that period, we should be very pleased to hear from you.
Support
Throughout this Project, the Society has been supported through grants from Swale Borough Council as well as the generosity of many descendants who have shared with us their family stories and images. We are also grateful to Lynsted with Kingsdown Parish Council for the donation of the Church display cabinet. We have also had support from Members of the Faversham Society.
Project Legacy
(1) Society Publication - "They Shall Grow Not Old"
"They Shall Grow Not Old - The stories of the men of Lynsted with Kingsdown who gave their lives in the First World War" (365 pages). Available for £15 + postage and packaging. For your own copy, contact the author, Lis Heriz-Smith, on 522842 or email parishrecords@lynsted.com.
- Download: From September 2020, the Book of Remembrance is available as a free download (10Mb or 63Mb)
Copies of this detailed and sympathetic book were donated to Lynsted Church, Lynsted and Norton Primary School, Faversham Society, Historical Research Group of Sittingbourne, Teynham and Lynsted Library, Faversham and Sittingbourne Libraries, Kent History Centre and Library (Maidstone), the Imperial War Museums and British Library for inclusion in the national Centenary archive. The donation of copies was made possible through a WW1 Grant from Swale Borough Council.
(2) Web publication
A "Roll of Honour" (with biographies) for those lost from the Kingsdown and Creekside Parochial Parish comprising Lynsted with Kingsdown, Teynham, Doddington, Newnham, Norton, Luddenham and Oare, and Wychling. "Home News" informed by a range of local and national news items. The Society transcribed Official Despatches relevant to lost men of Creekside.
(3) Lynsted Church
A monthly Roll of Honour for Lynsted with Kingsdown Parish, Norton and Teynham casualties. This is on display in an oak display cabinet that was donated by the Lynsted with Kingsdown Parish Council. A booklet lodged beside the Church Memorial gives thumbnail summaries for visitors to consult.
(4) Bimonthly Rolls of Honour included in the Kingsdown, Lynsted and Norton Newsletter during the Remembrance Project period. The Parish Newsletter no longer exists.
(5) Supporting publications available as PDF downloads or web pages
World War 1 Recipes leaflet - the cakes and biscuits prepared by Lis Heriz-Smith for the Exhibition on 10th November 2018. Delicious! PDF
"Lynsted Times," publication of newspaper extracts, from the collection of Nigel Heriz-Smith. These were on display during the 10th November 2018 event and, following popular demand, we have published PDF copies for your enjoyment.
- 1914 - War Arrives in Kent;
- 1915 - Grinding to a Halt – The New Army;
- 1916 - Conscription;
- 1917 - U-Boats, Rations & Conscription; and
- 1918 - Crisis & Resolution.
Spanish Influenza Epidemic nationally, regionally and locally from 1918. (Researched by Lis Heriz-Smith) PDF
The Army Structure before War Broke Out - inherited from the Boer War. PDF
World War 1 Pages