Carlin, J.  
John Carlin, L/10559, was a Serjeant in the 7th battalion of The Buffs. He was born in Dover on 1 July 1897 Before enlisting which he did at the age of 18 he worked as a labourer. After his enlistment he served at home between 10 July 1915 and 9 August 1916 and went to France on 10 September 1916

He was reported missing in action and later as having died on 30 September 1918. He is commemorated on the Vis en Artois Memorial, France. Panel 3. He is also named on the St Mary's Parish Memorial, Dover

On 17 June 1919 he was gazetted with the Military Medal 

John's father had died on 14 May 1906. His mother who had married John's father in 1894 was Annie Elizabeth Carlin née Hicks formerly Burr of 12 Percival Terrace, Winchelsea, Dover, and he had an elder brother Thomas serving in the Navy. His younger brother was George Carlin then 15 and at home with his mother. He had also a half-brother Stephen Ernest Burr Mrs Carlin's son who was living at 1 Stembrook, and who was killed in action on 21 March 1918

By 25 May 1918 Mrs Carlin was living at 7 Victoria Row, High Street, Dover, with his sisters Rose Phoebe then 18 and Priscilla Alice then 14 living with her. Another sister Annie Mary Carlin then 22 was living at 182 Heathfield Avenue, with their half-sister Emily Ellen Campbell née Burr then 31. Emily wrote to the Infantry Office on 16 November 1919 on behalf of her mother to enquire after the personal belongings of her brother; a pocket wallet a wrist watch and a small book

Chidwick, F. G.
Frank George Chidwick, 709556, was a Private in the Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment) 78th battalion. He was born in Dover, and emigrated to Canada in 1907. It appears also that he may have sailed from Liverpool to Montreal aboard the Tunisian on 6 August 1914. His occupation there is given as a farmer, and he is accompanied by, presumably, two of his sisters, Ada, 25, and Winifred, 15, both domestics.

He was sworn in at Sussex Town by a Magistrate from Kings County New Brunswick on 1 November 1915 and was described as a farmer, five feet three inches tall with grey eyes and black hair. His mother is given as next-of-kin.

Born on 1 January 1885 he died of wounds on 26 August 1918. The circumstances of his death were "On the night of August 24th 1918, when his Battalion were coming out from Caix district, after the "Llandovery Castle" operations and proceeding to Gentelles Wood, an enemy aeroplane flew over the column and dropped a bomb, wounding Private Chidwick in the neck and left thigh. He was immediately attended to an evacuated to No 48 Casualty Clearing Station, where he succumbed to his wounds two days later".

Private Chidwick is buried at Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, France. XVIA A 12.  The words at the foot of his headstone read "God be with you, until we meet again. Peace, perfect peace. Mother"

His mother was Mrs Katherine Chidwick of 4 Victoria Crescent, Dover, and later of 4 Devonshire Road, Tower Hamlets. She was born in Gibraltar circa 1855; though Spanish she was a naturalised British subject who had come to England in about 1880.

In 1891 the family, headed by railway goods porter John Chidwick, were living at 16 St Johns Place, Dover, with Mrs Chidwick's name given as Catrine. Their children were then Charles, 10, Joseph, 9, Louisa, 8, Frank, 7, Alice, 6, Iddie (Ida or Ada?), 5, and Peter, 6 months.

By 1901 the family were at 2 Primrose Road, Dover, with Mrs Chidwick named Katalina. In 1901 she was working as a housekeeper. Frank was then 17 and carter to a builder, while his older brother Charles was a greengrocer. Peter was there too, and the  family had been joined by a little daughter, Winnie, aged 2. There had been twelve children in the family, of whom, by 1911, four had died. 

In 1911 Mrs Chidwick was living, with Winifred, at 5 Prospect Cottages. This was the home of her son, Joseph John Chidwick and his wife Edith Jane, née Hogben, who had married on 1 January 1911 at Charlton, Dover. Joseph was a mariner with HMS Natal and became a survivor of HMS Cressy

Meanwhile, on Christmas Day 1906 at St Andrews, Buckland, Frank had married Nellie Rose Kingsford Barton. She was the sister of Harry Barton. The couple had a son, Leslie, born in 1907. In the 1911 census Nellie is living at 6 George Street, Dover, with their son, and living there also was a boarder, George William Wellard, a single man and grocer's assistant with two daughters, Eileen, 2, and Ethel, 3 months. Mr Wellard and Nellie, from 8 Cook's Cottages, Charlton Green, Dover, married on 9 April 1919 at Charlton Church, at which time he was working as a porter.

with thanks to E Ellis
The cross is a George V silver cross and is a replica of that at the entrance to the Memorial Chamber at the Canadian Parliament which is dedicated to the memory of those who died in the service of Canada. The silver cross was created on 1 December 1919 and is a medal presented to mothers and widows. 58,500 George V silver crosses were issued. The soldier's name is inscribed thereon and the recipient is permitted to wear the cross at any time (thanks to a Canadian reader for this information)

Clift, J.
James Edward Clift was a Fireman on the SS "Achille Adam" (London) a Merchant Navy man. The vessel was attacked by an enemy submarine and he died from exposure on 24 March 1917, when he was 30. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London

He was born at Dover, the son of Elizabeth Clift and the late James Edward Clift and the husband of Sarah Rose Clift (née Bradish) of 1 Bowling Green Hill, Dover, the address of her mother. Sarah was the sister of Barrington Bradish.

In ever loving memory of Fireman James Edward Clift who died serving his country ... "Until the dawn breaks" - from his loving Mother, Brothers, and Frank and Em (Rochester) - 1920

(article)

Cloke, A. G. 
Alfred George Cloke, 3954 was in the Royal Naval Reserve with the trawler W H Poddy. He died on 7 December 1915 when he was 36. He is buried at Buckland. Grave 1817

His wife was Ellen Maria Saunders, formerly Cloke of 8 Primrose Road, Buckland, Dover 

At the bottom of his headstone are the words:

sweet sleep
he so much needed
free from care and pain
could we wish him back again

Collins, C. H. 
Charles Henry Collins, 6897, was a Serjeant in the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) 1st battalion. He died on 27 October 1914 shortly after being admitted to hospital. Both his legs had been shot away at Le Maroc. He was buried at Cite Bonjean, Armentieres, France. IX A 32

He had been married only in the April. His wife was staying with her parents at 1 Sydney Terrace, Malvern Road

Collier, F.
Frederick Henry Collier was a Private in the 1st battalion of The Buffs. He died on 25 October 1914 aged 19 and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium. Panel 2

He was the son of Charles Isaac and Florence Collier from 46 Harvey Street, Folkestone, and formerly from 3 Beach Street. Mr Collier had been in the army himself for twenty years. On leaving the army he had joined the Ordnance and then the Customs Staff

The couple had four sons serving at the Front.  One of their other sons Charles was a POW having been taken prisoner when seen to be wounded by an enemy soldier who was about to bayonet him

Cork, H.
Harry Cork attested on 1 September 1914 and became Private 750 in The Buffs. Then a labourer he had served previously in the South Africa Campaign. He was noted as having a small heart tattoo on his left forearm

He served at home from enlistment to 4 October 1915 then went out with the BEF for seventeen days. He then served with the ME Force between 23 October 1915 to 11 October 1916 returning home on 12 October. On  30 June 1917 he was transferred to 584th Home Service Employment Company, Labour Corps serving as 276409 and was discharged as no longer physically fit for war service on 8 March (newspaper report says "April") 1918. Described as a pensioner, he died aged 47 on 15 April 1918 and was buried with military honours from 14 George Street on 20 April at Buckland Cemetery, Dover. Grave D2067

Mourners at his funeral included his widow, the former Elizabeth Clarke, whom he had married in Dover on 21 January 1897 and his sons: Harry (right, serving at home in the ASC) Thomas James Robert born at Dover on 6 August 1900 and who suffered from epilepsy, and Stephen Valentine born at Dover on 5 June 1904.  His other son Alfred was on war service in Belgium

Also present were his widow's sisters: Mrs Richards, Miss Cork, Miss M Clarke, his mother-in-law Mrs Clarke and his aunt Mrs J Clarke, Mrs Cork his stepmother, his brothers G and W Cork, his brother-in-law Mr M Peace, and Mrs Dunkin and cousin Rose. There were floral tributes from his sorrowing wife and family, from his mother and family (45 George Street) from his nephew in France and many more

The family lived at 14 George Street when Harry died and there received also the sad news that Alfred had been killed two days after the death of his father

At the bottom of the headstone are the words, "Rest in Peace"

service details with thanks to Joyce Banks

Costello, F. R.
Francis Robert Costello, 422437, was a Private in the Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment) He was in the 27 battalion and said to be in the Machine Gun Section. He died at Chatham Military Hospital on 24 April 1917 from wounds received at Vimy Ridge and is buried at the Fort Pitt Military Cemetery, Kent. 1454

Born on 22 November 1896 he was the third son of John Edward and Emily Costello née Wrake from 14 Quay Avenue, St Vital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, formerly Meadowvale, Manitoba. They came from Dover having been married there in 1883 and having both been born there, in 1860 and 1859 respectively.  Mrs Costello's father was James Wrake, a Trinity Pilot..

Private Costello was five feet five inches tall when he enlisted on 15 April 1915 at the age of 19 and eight months and had been working as a clerk (Note: CWGC gives his age as 18 when he died).

Private Costello's cousin, Frederick Frank Bean, is commemorated on the memorial at Broadstairs, Kent. His mother and Private Costello's mother were sisters.

Mary Jane Bean, née Wrake, was widowed when her husband, John Caleb Bean, a plumber born in Dover, was killed by a train on the South Eastern and Chatham Railway in November 1895. From 31 High Street, Broadstairs, he had been declared bankrupt in January 1895 after the failure of his business, and, destitute, Mrs Bean placed her two youngest sons in homes.

The elder of the two, Walter George Bean, became a "Home Child", sent in 1902 through Barnardo's Homes to Canada. There he settled, and enlisted on 8 June 1916 with the 25th Brant Dragoons for the Great War. He was invalided out after three months as unfit owing to bunions.  Born on 2 April 1891, and christened at Broadstairs Holy Trinity on  10 May 1891, the younger, Frederick Frank Bean, lost his life on 5 June 1916 when HMS Hampshire sunk after striking an enemy mine off Mainland, Orkney. This was the same incident that claimed the life of Lord Kitchener.

Leading Stoker Bean is commemorated by the CWGC on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Cramp, W. H.
Walter Herbert Cramp, 33680, was a Private in the 1st/6th Battalion of the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) (formerly 24635 of the Royal Sussex Regiment). Employed as a pony driver, he enlisted with the West Ridings in December 1915.

In October 1916 he was mobilised to active service with the 3rd Reserve Cavalry and was posted to Canterbury. In January 1918 he was transferred to the Royal Sussex Regiment, 4th Battalion. He was serving at Ypres when in June 1918 he developed appendicitis. Four weeks after  an operation in the field hospital on 11 July he was sent home, going into the Military Hospital in Sandwich. He was discharged from service as unfit on 12 May 1919; he never left hospital and died at the Military Hospital Dover on 27 May 1919, aged 21, "after much suffering" from complications following the operation

Five feet five inches tall, he was one of the eleven children of Mary Ann, née Shepherd, and Louis Cramp, who worked on the telegraph boats laying cable across the floor of the Atlantic. In 1901 the family were living at 23 Widred Road, Dover. Ten years later, when he was fourteen, Walter was a newsboy for a papershop; the family were then living at 4 Alexandra Place, Buckland, Dover.

Walter was buried at St James Cemetery, KG 2 with full military honours, and amongst the mourners were "his ever loving father and mother". His brothers and sisters: Fred, George, Nellie, Polly, Lizzie, Louie, Flo, and Minnie were also present, but another brother Albert, was unable to attend as he was serving in France

"Deeply mourned by all"

with thanks to Lawrence Gregory
note: Private Cramp's birth was registered in 1897 and his age at death in the family announcement was given as 22
Frederick  Hubbard, Walter's brother-in-law married to Flo(rence), also died, on 23 November 1918

Cutting, A. I.
Arthur Isacke Cutting, 105401, was a Private in the Saskatchewan Regiment of the Canadian Infantry 5th battalion. He had previously served with the Australian Mounted Police and was 6 feet tall with blue eyes and black hair. On enlistment on 29 November 1915 he was employed as a farmer 

He died on 9 April 1917 at Vimy Ridge and is buried at the Nine Elms British Cemetery, Thelus, France. IV A 8

He was born at Herne Bay on 20 August 1897 and his parents were Nathaniel and Katherine Cutting, from 3 Redvers Cottages, Kearsney, Dover

Above is his parent's grave at All Saints Waldershare. The church is now little used and the cemetery is overgrown. The book memorial on the grave reads: "Sacred to the Memory of Nathaniel Cutting (Cutting) born 11 November 1848, died 8th June 1909 Katherine his beloved wife born 7th September 1852, died 27th February 1941, Beneath are the Everlasting Arms"

On the left-hand edge of the grave are the words: "Arthur Isacke Cutting, their eldest son, died 9 April 1017 at Vimy Ridge, France, aged 27 years". On the right-hand edge are the words: "Frank Vincent Cutting". The tree that has grown at the edge of the grave has rendered the remainder of the inscription unreadable