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War
Memorials Elsewhere, - Kemsing (Kent) |
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The War Memorial for Kemsing (Kent)
Photo : The
Kent War Memorial Transcription Project
The War Memorial for Kemsing is situated near St. Edith's Well in the centre of the village.
20 names are commemorated for those who lost their lives in the First World War, and 21 names for the Second World War. Amongst the names commemorated is that of one soldier who served in the Yorkshire Regiment.
The names of those commemorated have been transcribed by Janet Eaton (<janeteaton@tiscali.co.uk>), and can be found, - together with biographical details on the Kent War Memorials Transcription Project website as well as on the Kemsing Heritage Centre website. We are most grateful to Janet Eaton for providing us with further details on the Yorkshire Regiment soldier, - Private Reginald Pierce Dimon.
Private Reginald Pierce Dimon. 20415.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Youngest son of Albert and Mary Ann
Dimon, of Kemsing, Sevenoaks, Kent. Killed 26 January 1916. Aged 20.
Born Kemsing (Kent), Enlisted Doncaster.
Buried CITE BONJEAN MILITARY CEMETERY.
Biographical details on Private Dixon, provided by Janet Eaton, are shown below.
The
War Memorial for Kemsing (Kent)
Photo : The
Kent War Memorial Transcription Project
The
First World War Commemorations on the War Memorial for Kemsing (Kent)
Photo : The
Kent War Memorial Transcription Project
Biographical Information on Private Reginald Pierce Dixon (Courtesy Janet Eaton)
Kemsing’s first war casualty was Reginald Pierce Dimon. The Dimon’s were very much a local family, living in St. Edith’s Cottages. His parents, Albert and Mary Anne were married in 1880, and Reginald (Pierce being his Mother’s maiden name) was born in Kemsing on 29th November 1895 and baptised in St. Mary’s on 1st March 1896, his Father’s occupation at this time being given as a coachman. Reginald was the next to youngest and the youngest son of 9 children, 4 boys and 5 girls. Young Reginald’s life cannot have been too happy as his Mother, Mary Anne, died on 13th December 1907 at the age of only 49. At this stage, the remaining younger members of the family, Reginald, his Father and three younger sisters moved to Skellow in Doncaster, where Reginald and his Father both worked as gardeners. His eldest brother, Ernest George (but known as George) who had at the age of 24 married his own Mary-Anne (nee Chandler) on 14th August 1907 remained in Kemsing, at Landway Cottages. Reginald’s Father, Albert, did however return to Kemsing sometime between 1911 and 1914 as he was in 1914 on the committee of the Horticultural Society.
Reginald joined up in the early days of the War from his Doncaster home, and was eventually posted to the 10th Bn of the Yorkshire Regiment. He died on 26th January 1916, at a casualty clearing station in Armentieres. He is buried in Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, and was just 20 when he was killed.
As an aside, I do know that his father’s brother was married and lived in Chipstead. Their eldest son Ernest was also killed during the First War, on 19th September 1918.
Reginald’s brother George and his wife continued to live in Kemsing, and both are buried in St. Mary’s churchyard, George dying on 21st October 1959, and Mary Anne in 1987 at the age of 100.
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