© Sue and Julian Owen. Terms and conditions.
The families of Dunkirk paid a heavy price during the 1914-18 War. Roughly one in four households had lost a loved one. Many of those returning home continued to suffer from the after effects of physical injuries, and mental and emotional anguish, as a result of their experiences at the front. They and their families also paid a heavy price.
Dunkirk was one of the first villages in the area to consider a lasting memorial to the men of the parish who had served their country. By February 1919 a War Memorial Committee had been set up. However, the War Memorial project was not without its controversy, as articles which appeared in the Faversham and North East Kent News describe.
The following appeared in the edition published on 22 February 1919 under the heading “Dunkirk’s Decision”:
This brought a swift response from Percy Marsh, the secretary of the Dunkirk War Memorial Committee, and this article appeared the following week, in the edition published on 1 March 1919:
‘The churchwardens and sidesmen of Dunkirk met recently to consider the question of a permanent memorial of the men belonging to the parish who have fallen in the war, and also of those who have served in the Forces and have been spared. The matter was discussed and it was decided that the building of a chancel to the church, would be most appropriate.’
‘Sir, In your last week’s issue, you stated that the War Memorial for Dunkirk would be the building of a Chancel to the Church. The heading “Dunkirk’s Decision” is very misleading. The Vicar and Church officials did hold a meeting and the suggestion of a Chancel was put forward as being appropriate. This gigantic proposal, however, did not meet with any support from the parishioners, who at a meeting, held on the 17th inst. decided that the memorial should be in the form of a granite cross erected in the Churchyard in memory of those who have fallen, coupled with a Roll of Honour, to be hung in the Church, to all those who have served in the war from this Parish. I trust the parishioners will give this object their loyal support.
Yours truly, Percy H. Marsh. Secretary,
War Memorial Committee, Dunkirk. February 25th 1919.
The War Memorial Committee ultimately got their way, and the War Memorial in Dunkirk Churchyard was unveiled in an impressive and dignified ceremony on 25 July 1919. A lengthy article describing the ceremony, appeared in the Faversham and North East Kent News published on 2 August 1919.
Cross Unveiled By Mr W. C. Dawes.
The other part of the village memorial was a roll of honour, with the names of all who had served. This was first placed in the church, and after the church was closed the board was moved to the village school. When this too was closed, the board was kept in storage until such time it could be re-erected in the new Village Hall.
Name |
Unit |
Died |
Local War Memorial |
Memorial/ Cemetery |
1st Royal Fusiliers |
20/04/17 |
Dunkirk |
Bully Grenay |
|
2nd/6th Sherwood Foresters |
27/08/18 |
Dunkirk |
Cologne S Cemetery |
|
1/22nd London Regt |
21/06/17 |
Dunkirk |
Dunkirk |
|
6th Queens (Royal West Sussex) |
19/06/19 |
|
Dunkirk |
|
2nd East Surrey Regt |
25/04/15 |
Dunkirk |
Menin Gate |
|
6th Royal Berkshire |
19/07/16 |
Dunkirk |
Thiepval |
|
2nd Royal Sussex |
24/09/18 |
Dunkirk |
Bellicourt |
|
Royal East Kent Yeomanry |
30/12/15 |
|
Twelve Trees Copse |
|
Household Btn, 1st Life Guards |
11/04/17 |
Dunkirk |
Browns Copse, Roeux |
|
1st East Yorkshire |
25/09/16 |
Dunkirk |
Serre Road No. 2 |
|
Royal Garrison Artillery |
28/09/15 |
Dunkirk |
Dunkirk |
|
Royal Navy - H.M.S. Weymouth |
06/03/19 |
Dunkirk |
Dunkirk |
|
72nd Btn Canadian Infantry |
04/11/18 |
Dunkirk |
Valenciennes |
|
2nd Buffs |
17/07/16 |
Dunkirk |
Struma |
|
(Not yet positively identified) |
? |
Dunkirk |
|
|
Royal Field Artillery |
27/01/21 |
|
Dunkirk |
|
2nd Btn, Royal Sussex Regiment |
27/09/16 |
Dunkirk |
Thiepval |
|
10th Buffs |
11/08/18 |
Dunkirk |
Pont-du-Hem, La Gorgue |
|
10th Queens Royal West Surrey |
24/02/17 |
Dunkirk |
Menin Gate |
|
4th Middlesex |
21/08/18 |
Dunkirk |
Serre Road No. 2 |
|
2nd Royal Sussex |
27/09/16 |
Dunkirk |
Thiepval |
|
1st Buffs |
28/08/15 |
Dunkirk |
Etaples |
|
8th Buffs |
18/08/16 |
Dunkirk |
Thiepval |
|
2nd Buffs |
24/04/15 |
Dunkirk |
Menin Gate |
|
Royal Field Artillery |
03/11/16 |
Dunkirk |
La Neuville, Corbie |
|
8th Buffs |
28/06/17 |
Dunkirk |
Menin Gate |
|
4th Btn Canadian Infatry |
29/04/16 |
|
Railway Dugouts, Ypres |
|
1st Buffs |
21/04/16 |
Dunkirk |
Lijssenhoek |
|
(Not yet positively identified) |
? |
Dunkirk |
|
These are the First World War names for Dunkirk. Click on on a name to link to that person’s page.
For a full alphabetical list of the names from all three villages, click here.
Note that the list includes some names who have been identified during the research but are not on the memorials, and there are still some names where further details cannot yet be found, so any further information would be most welcome - please contact us.
For a short time from 1915 – 1916, The Dunkirk Parish Magazine carried various items of news “From our Men at the Front”. The column was put together by the then Headmaster of Dunkirk School, William Burgess, who was also Organist and Choirmaster at Dunkirk Church and who was in regular contact with the men’s families.
This feature of the magazine came to an end in June 1916, with the announcement that “owing to the regulations under The Defence of the Realm Act, we are not allowed to publish particulars about our friends abroad, we must not mention where they are and what their experiences are”. Tragically the Burgesses were to lose their own son in August 1916.
The magazine also carried other pieces which reflected both local circumstances. The national mood, and the extracts are contained in a separate set of pages here on the site; they not only contain additional information about the men who died, but also much about the many others who served.
These are the Second World War names for Dunkirk. Click on on a name to link to that person’s page.
For a full alphabetical list of the names from all three villages, click here.
Note that there are still some names where further details cannot yet be found, so any further information would be most welcome - please contact us.
Name |
Unit |
Died |
Local War Memorial |
Memorial/ Cemetery |
Buffs |
04/06/42 |
Dunkirk |
Dunkirk |
|
(Not yet positively identified) |
? |
Dunkirk |
|
|
Royal Navy - H.M.S. Firedrake |
17/12/42 |
Dunkirk |
Chatham |
|
Royal Navy - H.M.S. Hotspur |
10/04/40 |
Dunkirk |
Chatham |
|
(Not yet positively identified) |
? |
Dunkirk |
|
|
(Not yet positively identified) |
? |
Dunkirk |
|
The full text of the report, including the speeches and the account of the service, is on a separate page HERE, which opens in a new window.