Page 39 - Sylvia Malt - Side by Side

Pte. William HARRIS 6th Battalion, East Kent Regt
1892 - 13th October 1915

William was the son of Henry Harris, who in 1911 was a self-employed watercress grower.
During the early part of the 20th century large areas of Foots Cray were ideal for growing
watercress, which would be sold at the London markets. The families lived in close
proximity to the crops, causing much illness, especially amongst the children, and the
watercress beds were eventually closed down for health reasons.

William Harris had grown up next door to Alfred Taylor, a regular soldier, who was two
years younger. The boys had gone to school together. Although he was employed as a
carpenter, William made up his mind to enlist in the Army almost immediately war was
declared, rushing down to the Woolwich recruitment office on 19th August 1914. He
requested the Buffs, East Kent Regiment and was placed in the 6th Battalion. On 13th
October 1915, the 6th Battalion, East Kent Regiment took part in the Battle of Loose which
was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front that year.
Unfortunately, William was one of the many thousands of casualties to fall.

In Memoriam: No known grave. Remembered on the Loos Memorial, Belgium.

2nd Lt. Geoffrey Vesey HOLT, 91st Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery
1898- 2nd September 1917

In the summer of 1916, just as the brutal Battle of the Somme was raging across the
English Channel, a magnificent society wedding took place in the tranquil setting of St.
James’ Church. Miss Marjorie Vesey Holt married Horace Christian Dawkins, younger son
of the late Clinton Dawkins of the Foreign Office. After the ceremony the bride and groom
paired out of the church between a guard of honour formed by Special Constables of “G”
Division (Shoreditch, Hoxton & Islington) of which Mr. Dawkins was the Commander. The
reception was held at the bride’s home, the magnificent 400-year-old mansion of Mount
Mascal, built on the hillside overlooking North Cray. Marjorie had all four brothers serving
in the War but the youngest was Geoffrey.

Geoffrey Vesey Holt, born in Bexley in 1898, was the fourth son of a very successful Army
Agent and grew up in a family who were very wealthy. He went to Eton Public School and
took an enthusiastic interest in the Boy Scout Movement. His father was President of the
Sidcup Local Association of Baden Powell Boy Scouts and even before the Association
was formed he organised the first patrol in the district at North Cray and himself rose
through successive stages to be Assistant Scoutmaster. At the outbreak of war, Geoffrey
was only 16 years-of-age and still at school, but three years later he was an eager and
zealous Army Officer in the Royal Horse Artillery, but didn’t go to the Front until March
1917.

In the summer of 1917, 2nd Lt. Geoffrey Vesey Holt's battalion took part in the
Passschendael offensive, officially known as the third Battle of Ypres. Unfortunately on 2nd
September, a solitary shell burst very close to Geoffrey and he was killed. It was reported
that his death occurred about 20 yards from the battery which he was on his way to
superintend. His commanding officer, writing to his father, said: “Before you receive this
letter from me, you will know of the very sad news of the death in action of your son. He
had joined the Battery just before I was given command about four weeks since, and during
that time both in action and for a few days in rest, I was able to find that I had in him a very
gallant and efficient officer and a very good friend.”

39