Page 61 - Sylvia Malt - Side by Side

Although he was not outwardly physically injured, Edwin unfortunately suffered brain
damage and concussion caused by the terrible noise and vibrations from the many large
guns which boomed out during the long and dramatic encounter. In July 1917, in an effort
to try to relieve some of his debilitating symptoms, he was admitted to Portsmouth Military
Hospital for an operation, but unfortunately died shortly afterwards. Sgt. Edwin Downton
was duly awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medals.

In Memoriam: Edwin Downton had asked to be buried in All Saints Churchyard and many
mourners, both family and military colleagues as well as villagers, attended the funeral. A
lone trumpeter played the last post as the coffin was slowly lowered into its resting place.

Sgt John Caleb GILBEY Royal West Kent Regt 1st Battalion
1885 - 11th September 1914

John was the son of Samuel and Eliza Gilbey whose home was School Cottages, Foots
Cray. As a boy he was a member of the Church Choir and attended the Foots Cray village
school. John was a regular soldier and had previously been in the army some 10 years,
having joined up when he was only 19 years old. He left the Army to marry Grace Elizabeth
Brooker and they set up home in Maidstone. The couple had one son.

As soon as War was declared John was automatically called up and his Regiment left for
France almost immediately. His brother Samuel was in the Navy. The family had only just
received a letter from John when they were informed of his death. The War had only been
going for little over a month. Fortunately John had made a Will leaving everything to his
wife. A War Gratuity of £12.9s.0d. was eventually paid to his widow.

In Memoriam: Remembered on Laferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, France

Pte. Henry Edward GLOVER 1st Central Ontario Regt., 4th Battalion
Canadian Infantry
1884 - 6th February 1918

Born in Brixton, South London in 1882, Henry Glover grew up in Foots Cray, the eldest
child of Samuel and Elizabeth Glover. Their two youngest children were both born in Foots
Cray. By 1901 the family had moved to Plumstead, S.E. London, in order to obtain work in
the huge Government armaments factory the Woolwich Arsenal. Samuel was a skilled steel
cutting machinist and Henry was a metal examiner and two other sons worked as fuse
hand machinists. The youngest son, even though he was only 14-years-old, was employed
making bullets.

In 1901, Henry married 21-year-old Sara Beatrice Lay, who had been lodging with the family
at their home in Swingate Lane, Plumstead. In 1907, the young couple made the brave
decision to emigrate, and in June sailed with their young son, Frederick, to Quebec in
Canada on the S.S. Pomeranian. They settled in Toronto and Henry soon found work on
the railways where he was a night foreman with Toronto Street Railway at Dundas Car
Barns. Previous to working at Woolwich Arsenal, Henry had been in the regular Army with
the Royal West Kent Regiment, reaching the rank of sergeant. He was 5ft 9in tall, with
hazel eyes and brown coloured hair. On 15th March 1915, he enlisted at the Toronto
Recruiting Depot and was assigned to the Sportsmen's Battalion which left for France in
October 1915.

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