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6th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment
6th (Service) Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment was raised at Maidstone on the 14th of August 1914 as part ofKitchener's First New Army and joined 37th Brigade in 12th (Eastern) Division. They trained at Colchester and moved to Purfleet in September 1914 they spent the winter in billets in Hythe from December. They moved to Aldershot for final training in February 1915 and proceeded to France on the 1st of June 1915 landing at Boulogne, they concentrated near St Omer and by 6th of June were in the Meteren-Steenwerck area with Divisional HQ being established at Nieppe. They underwent instruction from the more experienced 48th (South Midland) Division and took over a section of the front line at Ploegsteert Wood on the 23rd of June 1915. They were in action in The Battle of Loos from the 30th of September, taking over the sector from Gun Trench to Hulluch Quarries consolidating the position, under heavy artillery fire. On the 8th they repelled a heavy German infantry attack and on the 13th took part in the Action of the Hohenzollern Redoubt, capturing Gun Trench and the south western face of the Hulluch Quarries. During this period at Loos, 117 officers and 3237 men of the Division were killed or wounded.By the 21st they moved to Fouquieres-les-Bethune for a short rest then returned to the front line at the Hohenzollern Redoubt until the 15th of November, when they went into reserve at Lillers. On the 9th of December, 9th Royal Fusiliers assisted in a round-up of spies and other suspicious characters in the streets of Bethune. On the 10th the Division took over the front line north of La Bassee canal at Givenchy. On the 19th of January they began a period of training in Open Warfare at Busnes, then moved back into the front line at Loos on the 12th of February 1916. In June they moved to Flesselles and carried out a training exercise. They moved to Baizieux on the 30th June and went into the reserve at Hencourt and Millencourt by mid morning on the 1st of July. They relieved the 8th Division at Ovillers-la-Boisselle that night and attacked at 3.15 the following morning with mixed success. On the 7th they attacked again and despite suffering heavy casualties in the area of Mash Valley, they succeeded in capturing and holding the first and second lines close to Ovillers. They were withdrawn to Contay on the 9th July. They were in action in The Battle of Pozieres on the 3rd of August with a successful attack capturing 4th Avenue Trench and were engaged in heavy fighting until they were withdrawn on the 9th. They moved north and in 1917 were in action at Arras in The First Battle of the Scarpe, The Battle of Arleux and The Third Battle of the Scarpe. They remained in the Arras sector until the 30th of October when they moved to Hesdin for the Cambrai offensive in which the Division suffered heavy losses. In March 1918 they moved by motor lorry from Busnes to Albert and were in action in The Battle of Bapaume and spent the spring engaged in heavy fighting a the enemy advanced across the old Somme battlefields. On the 1st of July 1918, they attacked Bouzincourt. but were repelled by the enemy. They were relieved on the 10th and moved to the area south of Amiens. They were in action in The Battle of Amiens and were engaged in heavy fighting from the 22nd pushing the enemy back and capturing Meaulte, Mametz, Carnoy, Hardecourt and Faviere Wood with in a week. In September they were in action in a successful attack on Nurlu and pursued the enemy back to Sorel Wood. They were in action during The battles of the Hindenburg Line, including The Battle of Epehy and The Battle of the St Quentin canal. In October they fought in The Final Advance in Artois reaching the Scheldt Canal by the 27th. They were withdrawn for rest on the 30th and after the Armistice moved to the area east of Douai and were engaged in battlefield salvage and sports until demobilisation began.
27th September 1915 Orders
27th September 1915 Orders 
28th September 1915 Reliefs complete
3rd Dec 1915 Peace in Sight
19th Dec 1915 Reliefs
31st Dec 1915 Reliefs
21st Feb 1916 Reliefs Completed
29th Feb 1916 Reliefs Completed
27th Mar 1916 Reliefs Completed
15th Apr 1916 Mines Blown
17th Apr 1916 On the Move
21st of August 1916 On the Move
7th Feb 1917 Reliefs
21st Mar 1917 On the March
29th Sep 1917 Reliefs
1st Jan 1918 Training
2nd Jan 1918 Training
3rd Jan 1918 Training
4th Jan 1918 Training
5th Jan 1918 Moves
6th Jan 1918 Moves
7th Jan 1918 Training
3rd Aug 1918 On the Move
25th Sep 1918 Medals Awarded
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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| Want to know more about 6th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment? There are:5254 items tagged 6th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with6th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Brailey Sidney Harold. Pte.
- Cole Cecil. Pte. (d.8th October 1915)
- Farnell William . Pte. (d.9th November 1916)
- Gilliam George Victor. Pte.
- Hammond Herrbert. Pte. (d.4th August 1916)
- Harris VC. MM. Thomas James. Sgt. (d.9th Aug 1918)
- Kemp Fred. Pte.
- Maloney J. D.. Pte. (d.24th Aug 1915)
- Milledge Thomas Albert Noel. L/Cpl. (d.3rd May 1917)
- Pickard William Victor. Pte. (d.3rd July 1916)
- Santon James William. Pte. (d.21st Sep 1918)
- Sheldon Thomas. Pte. (d.8th Jan 1916)
- Simpson Thomas. Sgt. (d.18th Jul 1917)
- Somerfield George. Pte. (d.30th January 1917)
- Tedder Timothy Richard. Pte (d.13th May 1917)
- Warner James George. Pte. (d.3rd July 1916)
- White Harry Martin. Pte. (d.14th October 1915)
- Williams Robert. Pte. (d.12th December 1915)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 6th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment from other sources.
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Pte. Robert Williams 6th Btn. Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) (d.12th December 1915) Robie Williams died of wounds on 12th of October 1915, aged 20 and is buried in the Lillers Communal Cemetery in France.
he was the son of Robert Henry and Emma Williams, of 108, Hertford Rd., Enfield Wash, Enfield, Middx.
According to the family Robbie had been given some R&R leave and was behind the lines when the area was hit by Artillery fire. Robbie was hit in the stomach by shrapnel and died some 10 days later; a few days after his 20th birthday.
His mother, Emma, was apparently very distressed for a second time when she received his birthday presents back un-opened.
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Sgt. Thomas James Harris VC. MM. 6th Btn. Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment (d.9th Aug 1918)  Thomas Harris was killed in action on the 9th of August 1918 and is buried in the Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension in France.
An extract from The London Gazette, No. 30967, dated 18th Oct., 1918, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in attack when the advance was much impeded by hostile machine guns concealed in crops and shell-holes. Serjt. Harris led his section against one of these, capturing it and killing seven of the enemy. Later, on two successive occasions, he attacked single-handed two enemy machine-guns which were causing heavy casualties and holding up the advance. He captured the first gun and killed the crew, but was himself killed when attacking the second one. It was largely due to the great courage and initiative of this gallant N.C.O. that the advance of the battalion was continued without delay and undue casualties. Throughout the operations he showed a total disregard for his own personal safety, and set a magnificent example to all ranks."
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Pte. Thomas Sheldon 6th Btn. Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment (d.8th Jan 1916)  Thomas Sheldon married Alice Bateman on 7th of August 1909 and moved to Hillcrest Road in Biggin Hill some time before 1911 and Thomas was employed as a farm laborer.Thomas and Alice had six children together, Alice Sophia (1909), Thomas (1910), Arthur (1910), Helen Kate (1911), Sidney (1912), and Annie (1914).
When the war started in 1914, Thomas joined the army as a private in the 6th Battalion of the Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).
He sent postcards from the front and one postcard sent to his daughter Helen, dated 28th of December 1915, was from the town of Vermelles close to the France-Belgium border. The message on the card was simply "from Daddy".
Vermelles was a coal mining town and was the site of many battles. Thomas was part of the defense and not long after sending the postcard to Helen, he was seriously injured in battle and was taken to Bethune, a hospital and railway town near to Vermelles. He died of his wounds on 8th of January 1916 and is buried in the Bethune Town Cemetery.
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Pte. George Victor Gilliam 6th Btn. Royal West Kent Regiment George Gilliam was captured in Cambrai on 30th of November 1917. His hand was wounded and he had shrapnell in his head.
He was sent to Le Quesnoy and then to Dulmen.
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Pte. Sidney Harold Brailey 6th Battalion Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment My father,Harold Brailey, enlisted at Ashford in 1915, in the 6th Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment.
In October or November 1917 he was defending a hill overlooking the Schelt Canal near Cambrai, where tanks were first used. When the Germans counterattacked he was shot in the leg and taken prisoner. He had mentioned being in a place called Dulmen but his letters came from Friedrichsfelt, so perhaps he was at the former place only temporarily. He was very dependent on food parcels and 4kg loaves of bread from the Red Cross.
He returned home in January 1919. Although the German soldiers were also short of food, he said that their Red Cross parcels were always delivered complete and untouched.
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Pte. George Somerfield 6th Btn Royal West Kent Regiment (d.30th January 1917) Remembering great great uncle, George Somerfield from Walsall aged 23, of the 6th Btn Royal West Kent Regiment. Killed in action at Arras, in the area of St Quentin road and the Scarpe. The enemy conducted heavy trench mortar bombardment of the communication and support trenches, on the morning of the 30th Jan 1917. Just prior to Regiment being relieved by East Surreys at 1100 hrs. 4 casualties, 3 were wounded. George was killed and is buried at Faubourg D’Amiens Cemetery, Arras.
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Pte. William Farnell 6th Btn. Royal West Kent Regiment (d.9th November 1916) Private William Farnell, son of Charles Farnell of Ampthill, Bedfordshire, born and living in Ampthill, enlisted Bedford. Served with the 6th Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment (service no. G/13340). He was killed in action on 9th November 1916 age 34 years and is buried in Wailly Orchard Cemetery, France. He is remembered on both The War Memorial and The Alamada, St. Andrews Church, Ampthill. Information courtesy of www.roll-of-honour.com
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Sgt. Thomas Simpson 6th Btn. Royal West Kent Regiment (d.18th Jul 1917) Thomas Simpson was one of 4 brothers, his eldest brother George was held Prisoner of War in Stendal Camp. His brother William was unfit for service but was a Munitions Officer responsible for feeding all the munition workers in the North West of England. His brother Frank was a Sergeant in the Royal Marines.
Thomas married Elizabeth Pittaway on the 6th December 1916 and just 7 months later he was killed in France and is buried in the Duisans Cemetery in Etrun, France. His widow never remarried.
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Pte. Harry Martin White 6th Btn. Queen's Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment (d.14th October 1915) Harry White was killed at or near Gun Trench by shellfire, his body was never recovered. His name is on a panel at Dud Corner Cemetery.
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L/Cpl. Thomas Albert Noel Milledge 6th Btn. Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) (d.3rd May 1917) Thomas Milledge was in the Royal West Kent Regiment and was shot in the neck in 1914. He was sent to a hospital in Carmarthen, Wales and, when he recovered he went back to his unit. He was posted missing presumed dead on 3rd May 1917. No body has ever been found, so he has no grave, just his name on the Arras Memorial. He was just 21 years old.
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Pte. J. D. Maloney 6th Btn Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment (d.24th Aug 1915) I know absolutely nothing about my Great granddad, J D Maloney, but would love to know as much as possible.
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Pte. Cecil Cole 6th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment (d.8th October 1915) My great uncle Cecil, died aged 19 years at Loos, on the 8th October 1915. I have his medals.
His younger brother, my grandfather, Frederick William Cole, was born on 11th November 1905, and I don't believe he ever really recovered from the loss, being 9 years old at the time. My great uncle's body was never recovered or buried as an individual as far as I am aware.
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Pte. James William Santon 6th Battalion Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) (d.21st Sep 1918) James William Santon died aged 22. He was born in Northallerton in 1897, son of Mary Ann Santon (nee Jones) of 49 Charles Street Jarrow and the late William Henry Santon. James William Santon age 14, a Miner Driver, lived with his parents William Henry & Mary Ann Santon at West Hetton Cottages, Coxhoe, Durham in the 1911 Census. He also served as TF/3576 in the Durham Light Infantry.
James is buried in Epehy Wood Farm Cemetery, Epehy and is commemorated on the Triptych in St. Paul's Church Jarrow.
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Pte. James George Warner 6th Battalion West Kent Regiment (d.3rd July 1916) I have finally managed to locate my Great Grandfather, James Warner thanks to great websites like this, he lies at Ovillers Military Cemetery. I will make it my quest to pay my respects one day.
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