My Blog List

My Blog List

Friday, 7 October 2016

More travels round Kent and Sussex.

As well as Spike Milligan's grave the church of St Thomas in Winchelsea is quite interesting. There are three tombs thought to be members of the Godfrey family set in the wall and now lit up , though I don't think you can see that from my photos. The stained glass windows designed by Douglas Strachen part of a gift to the town by Lord Blanesburgh. There are two war graves in the graveyard one of 36801 Sergeant George William Cook. He'd served in the Royal Sussex Regiment in world war one though I can't find any record of his medals then he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps changing to the Royal Air Force. He had a heart attack in 1943 and buried at St Thomas's, his local church.
The other is an unknown Royal Marine from HMS Ariadne. She was a Diadem Class ship launched in 1898, converted to a minelayer & torpedoed off Beachy Head on 26th July 1917. Thirty eight were killed in the resulting explosion, amongst them the unknown Marine. How he remained unknown I don't know but his washed up body was buried here.
Today I paid a visit to the RSPB reserve at Dungeness  and very good to was too, the high spot being seeing a Hen Harrier, that's what I was told anyway, I recognised it as a raptor but that was the limit of my knowledge, I tried to take a photo but for a second time this week muffed it so just enjoyed watching it instead.
Had a very pleasant walk around the reserve and will definitely come back again.
Tombs probably of the Godfrey family

Godfrey family.....probably



36802 Sgt CW Cook RAF

Unknown Royal Marine from WW1.

Dungeness RSPB reserve




     

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