The Memorial


786x512 83KB

"Shortly before the signal, at a given order heads were bared, and then the firing of a maroon from the fire station, and the sirens at the paper mills and other whistles, proclaimed the national silence. Men stood with bowed heads before the town memorial to the gallant lads who had fallen, in mute reverence. Dead silence prevailed, and borne on the air could be heard the sound of guns booming from warships at Sheerness". ( East Kent Gazette )

 

The Sittingbourne Memorial was erected in 1921 and paid for with public subscription. In 1990 the Memorial was moved from Sittingbourne Rec to Central Avenue at a cost of £23,000 after several attacks from vandals. It had fallen into disrepair, but today in its new location it looks splendid.

Sittingbourne Memorial Today


1540x931 125KB
Central Avenue Sittingbourne
(Note the plaques around the wall containing the names of the Milton men)



Milton's Memorial

Milton Regis Memorial, paid for by public donation

On Remembrance Day 1920, the people of Milton paid tribute to the sons that didn't return home. So many people attended the church service that many had to stand outside ( The church is not small). The base of the Memorial was one mass of flowers placed there in affectionate remembrance of the fallen heros by sorrowing relatives and public bodies. Amongst the floral tributes were wreaths from Milton Regis Fire Brigade, Milton Conservative Club, Milton Council, Schools, The Soldiers & Sailors Families Association and The Sittingbourne branch of the Royal British Legion and many small posies that simply read "To Dear Daddy".


The Memorial at the Holy Trinity Church Milton was destroyed in the storms of 1987

The late Philip Sweetland, then chairman of the British Legion, inspects the damage in 1988

Because of the state of the Milton Memorial and due to pressure from the Royal British Legion, the council agreed to include The Milton men on Plaques around the walls of the Memorial Garden built to house the Sittingbourne Memorial