More pictures from the Drill Hall Service.

Chatham Drill Hall Massacre - REMEMBERING K/34514 Stoker 1st Class ARTHUR FREDRICK HAXELL RN - HMS Pembroke Born 17th June 1898 – Killed 4th September 1917 Age just 19 For the Centenary Commemoration of the Chatham Drill Hall massacre, the day started with the sun in the sky – a blessing for an outdoor event. The Royal Navy Association (Chatham) worked with the University of Greenwich to draw together an impressive and fitting Act of Remembrance for the 131 men who were killed in this fatal air raid of the night of 3rd September 1917. The service and parade, held today 10th September 2017, was attended by The Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Viscount De L'Isle, Rear Admiral John Kingwell CB, OBE, the Mayor of Medway and senior representatives from the Royal Navy and other armed services organisations. Music was provided by the band of the Royal Marines, while the parade featured RN Reservists, Naval veterans and Sea and RM Cadets. There was also wreath laying and the planting of crosses, including a cross to remember 19 year old Welling boy Arthur Haxell laid by Trust Chairman Nigel Betts. Throughout the ceremony the names of those killed were read out. In September 1917, the Chatham Drill Hall, - a glass roofed building – was being used as a temporary overflow dormitory for sailors and there were 698 men asleep or resting in their hammocks in the Drill Hall that fateful night. The Drill Hall formed part of the Royal Navy's HMS Pembroke barracks at Chatham. The men lost their lives when the building was bombed by German Gotha airplanes. It suffered a direct hit as the planes dropped nearly fifty bombs over Gillingham and Chatham. Contemporary accounts tell a terrible story: many were fatally injured from the explosion, with some victims being cut to pieces from the falling pieces of glass from the roof. The attack was one of the first night-time bombing raids in the history of warfare and caused the largest single loss of life from an air raid in the whole of World War One. Today the building is known as the Drill Hall Library, a state-of-the-art learning resource centre and one of the showpiece buildings of the Universities at Medway campus, serving the students of Greenwich, Kent and Canterbury Christ Church universities. The storey of our local boy Arthur Haxell, who was killed in the raid is told here – http://www.ewt.org.uk/memorial/haxell/

To help Queen Mary’s Hospital (QMH) mark it Centenary on Saturday 9th September, the East Wickham & Welling War Memorial Trust took its exhibition to the special ‘Family Fun and Open Day' held in the hospital grounds. The whole community were invited to join in the centenary celebrations with entertainment throughout the day appealing to all ages and was staged both inside and outside of the hospital. Local MP, Rt Hon James Brokenshire, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland officially opened the hospital's new Cancer and Kidney Treatment Centres in the morning and toured the event with The Mayor and Mayoress of Bexley, Councillor and Mrs Peter Reader. Both the Mayor of Bexley and James Brokenshire visited our exhibition along with many interested local residents who all sampled the "trench cake" specially baked for the event by reasearch volunteer Kelly Morgan.

Linda Clayton and Nigel Betts spent a very pleasant afternoon giving a talk about WW1 and the History of the Trust to the Woolwich and District Antiquarian Society at historic Charlton House. A lot of interest was shown in the story of East Wickham & Welling over this period and in the Diary of the First World War.

Linda Clayton and Nigel Betts spent a very pleasant afternoon giving a talk about WW1 and the History of the Trust to the Woolwich and District Antiquarian Society at historic Charlton House. A lot of interest was shown in the story of East Wickham & Welling over this period and in the diary of the First World War.

Report from trust researcher Kelly Morgan "Lucky enough to be walking through Trafalgar Sq on my way to work when The Mud Soldier was unveiled. Surprised more people weren't there. Made with sand mixed with mud from Passchendaele, it's only on display for four days and will slowly dissolve as it is exposed to rain." #MudSoldier #Passchendaele100

Trust Chairman, Nigel Betts visited Bishop Ridley Church this morning to present a grant cheque to vicar, Rev Mark Tariq. The Trust was pleased to give a capital grant of £7,000 towards the church's upgrade of kitchen facilities to enable the cooking of hot meals for a new lunch club. New kitchen facilities will also allow the church to be used for many other community activities where catering is required.

DO COME AND JOIN US TODAY 17th JUNE If you want to visit the EWWWMT research team, we are at the East Wickham Fun Day on Shoulder of Mutton Green, WELLING - TODAY from 12.00 noon. We will be in the St Mary’s Church Hall doing things like Poppy Making for children and showing people how they can research their own World War One ancestors.

Trust Chairman, Nigel Betts was with the Deputy Mayor of Bexley (Cllr Val Clark) at the Bexley Nepalese Association annual gathering at Falconwood Community Centre on Sunday. Joined by MOD Community Engagement Officer Alex Page, Major Andy Church VR and the Guest of Honour Rt Hon James Brokenshire, Secretary of State for Northern Island, and his wife Cathy. The event started with the singing of both the Nepalese and the British National Anthems. We were given a very warm, hospitable welcome by Kesh Bahadur Gurung and our Gurkha hosts and their families as well as an even warmer (seriously HOT) curry and other wonderful Nepalese cuisine for our dinner. There was a programme of traditional Nepalese dance and song and we were also involved with the presentation of awards for achievement and service. The East Wickham & Welling War Memorial Trust is pleased to grant aid the former Gurkhas and their Families Association as they are now an established and valued part of the Welling community and it was a great joy to help them celebrate their special day.

Congratulations to Trust Governor Maura Garrod. Maura is the Bexley ADC for Beaver Scouts and has been awarded the Silver Acorn, one of the highest awards in Scouting in recognition for her outstanding contribution to the lives of young people in our area. Maura is pictured at Winsor Castle, where she had the honour to be part of the Scout St Georges Day Parade, where HRH the Duke of Kent took the salute. The Trust is so lucky to have such inspirational people in its ranks.