Birchington Great War Patriotic Record | Click here to buy the book or view our other local books
When I produced this book it occurred to me that the decedents of the people named in it might want a means of communicating with each other, if you click here you can leave comments for others to see, you don't have to join anything or fill in any forms, you can even comment anonymously should you wish to.
Birchington Great War Patriotic Record
For many years, there has been a large red book in the glass case near Quex Chapel in All Saints Church, Birchington. The book is hand made and beautifully illuminated, containing both text and photographs, and is totally unique. It contains a record of how the people of the village of Birchington responded to the events of the 1914 - 1918 War.
Because the book is irreplaceable, it has been felt that it should not be left in such a vulnerable position, but before it was placed into safe keeping, the pages have all been scanned.
As a result of studying the contents of these pages, some amazing facts have emerged about the life of this enterprising and caring community during those difficult times. Men like Major Powell-Cotton of Quex Park, who oversaw the care of the hundreds of wounded sent to Birchington and Major George F. Holland of 'Clovelly', Berkeley Road, who ran the military side of things in the village and then undertook to write this book at the end of the war.
It is a pity that a similar enterprise was not undertaken after the 2nd World War, for that same spirit was clearly as evident then, as it is now. Our community of Birchington is one of which to feel justly proud, and the old book gives us ample evidence of this.
Jennie Burgess
Parish Archivist
2007
