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The damage was catastrophic: Arethusa took a heavy list and 156 crew were killed, with 42 injured.
Among them was Leonard Francis Beck - husband, father of two, and one of the 15 men on the Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham Gas Company WW2 Roll of Honour
To be continued… 🧵🌹
#MedwayHistory #WW2
Photo of the Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham Gas Company WW2 Roll of Honour. A framed wooden panel featuring the heraldic crests of each Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham. The title reads: 1939 + THEY SERVED + 1945 WE WILL REMEMBER THEM Names highlighted in gold are: EJ Aslett, Royal Air Force VR; LF Beck, Royal Navy; VC Best, Royal Army Ord Corps; SJ Betts, Royal Air Force VR; DR Capps, Royal Army Service Corps; KF Clifton, Royal Artillery; CN Coomber, Royal Navy; RG Edwards, Royal Army Service Corps; JW Kearley, Royal Air Force; G Killick, Royal Air Force; LA Mann, Royal Army Service Corps; FW Ruck, in the Company's Service; RHC Stewart, Royal West Kent; IH Taylor, Royal West Kent; DF Wilder, Royal Air Force VR.
Recently, in the basement of a local museum building, the WW2 Roll of Honour for the Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham Gas Company was rediscovered with 15 names. Last year I researched the Kent Electric Co WW2 memorial - also 15 names.
We will remember them 🧵⬇️ #WW2 #MedwayHistory #WarMemorials 1/
