284813 Private George Kenward, Royal Air Force

Chailey Parish Magazine mentions G Kenward only briefly.  He appears for the first time in October 1918 as Pte G Kenward of the RAF and this information is then repeated monthly up to and including the final published roll in July 1919. 

G Kenward is George Kenward, born on the 15th July 1871. His surviving record in AIR 79 indicates that he joined the RAF on the 15th August 1918 for the duration of the war. He was a married man, a gardener by trade, who had also previously seen service with the 6th Volunteer Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment (this, pre-1908). His papers record his wife, Adelaide Isabella Selina Kenward, as his next of kin, and his address as Balmeath Cottages, South Common, Chailey. The couple also had two adopted daughters, Elsie Adelaide (born 11th September 1903) and Lilian Frances (born 3rd may 1905).

 

George did not serve overseas and was discharged on the 30th April 1920.

12961 1st Air Mechanic Corporal William Stephen White, Royal Flying Corps

Chailey Parish Magazine mentions Corporal W White, Royal Field Artillery, England, in its August 1916 edition.  The following month this is corrected to note that he is serving not with the RFA but with the RFC – Royal Flying Corps.

In January 1917 it notes that Corporal White has been invalided but in April 1918 the word “invalided” is removed and the information White, Corpl W, RFC appears.  This is then repeated up to and including the final published roll call in July 1919.

William's papers (extract above) survive in AIR 79 at the National Archives and tell us that he enlisted on 2nd November 1915 as a 2nd Air Mechanic and that he was appointed 1st Air Mechanic the following March. He did not serve overseas and was deemed to have been discharged on 20th April 1920, having been transferred to the RAF Reserve on 12th February 1919. He was a mechanic by trade and living at South Street, Chailey. His next of kin is recorded as his father - W White.

William appears on the 1901 census of England and Wales (above) as a 23-year-old Chailey-born blacksmith living at South Street, Chailey.  Also at that address are his 26 year old sister Beatrice White, his 27 year old brother Reuben White (a boot maker) and his widowed 57 year old father William White (running his own boot-making business).

Images on this page are Crown Copyright, The National Archives.

8582 Clerk Lawford Harold Beal, RAF

Lawford Beal first appears in Chailey Parish Magazine in March 1916 as simply, Beal. The following month this information is upgraded to include his initials and the fact that he is an Air Mechanic with the Royal Naval Air Service. In May 1916, this information is further augmented to include the fact that he is situated in England. L H Beal’s last appearance in Chailey Parish Magazine is in November 1917 which simply lists Beal, LH, AM, RNAS.

Thankfully, Lawford's service record survives in AIR 79 and from this we can see that he was born in Southminster, Essex and joined the Royal Flying Corps on 13th September 1915. His civilian trade is noted as valet and so presumably he was serving one of the wealthy families in Chailey. He was Air Mechanic 2nd Class when he enlisted and he finished the war as a Grade 1 Clerk.

98067 Pte Fred Campbell, Royal Air Force

The F Campbell mentioned in Chailey’s parish magazine is Frederick Charles Campbell who was born in Cooksbridge, Hamsey, Sussex in 1897.  He appears on the 1901 census of England and Wales as a four year old living at Cooksbridge with his family.  The family comprised Frederick Campbell (head, aged 36, working as a farmer), his wife Annie and their four children: Florence Campbell (aged seven), Frederick, Harold Campbell (aged two) and Albert Campbell (aged two months).  All of the children were born in Hamsey. 

Two other sons, Donald John Campbell and Stanley Campbell would follow in 1902 and 1905 respectively. 

There is little information in Chailey Parish Magazine about Frederick Campbell.  In September 1917 it is noted: Campbell, F, 3rd AM, RFC and this information is updated (belatedly) in January 1919, replacing RFC with RAF.  This entry is then repeated monthly up to and including the final published roll call in July 1919. Thankfully, Fred's service record survives in AIR 79 at the National Archives and this records that he was a private gardener at the time of his enlistment into the RFC on the 26th September 1917. His address is noted as South Street, Chailey with his mother Annie as his next of kin. He was discharged on 7th March 1919.

Frederick’s brother Harold also served in the First World War and lost an arm towards the end of the war.  Sixty five years later, Chailey resident Reg Philpott was still amazed that after he had recovered, he was still able to milk a cow with one arm. 

 

205127 Corporal Mechanic Henry (Harry) James Urry, RAF

Henry James (Harry) Urry was born in the parish of St John’s, Lewes on 18th May 1891. He appears on the 1901 census of England and Wales living at 21 Sun Street, St John’s with his family. The household comprised: Richard Urry (head, aged 47, a self-employed coal merchant), his wife Naomi Urry (aged 42) and five children: Richard W Urry (aged 19, working as a coal porter), Gertrude Urry (aged 14), John Urry (aged 12), Nelson Urry (aged 11) and Harry (aged nine).

Harry enlisted in The Royal Naval Air Service at Portsmouth on 28th May 1915 for the duration of hostilities. He was five feet nine and a half inches tall, had black hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion.  He gave his occupation as chauffeur and was given the rating of air mechanic 1st class and the number F5127. He was posted to HMS President.

Chailey Parish Magazine notes in August 1915 that he is serving his King and Country and in October 1915 that he is in the Dardanelles with “Aero Wing”. The following month the magazine notes that he is with the RNAS and in August 1916 that he has been wounded. The wound does not appear to have been too serious. There is no mention of it in his surviving service records and by 30th April 1917 he was in Dunkirk, France and latterly Boulogne at an aircraft depot. On 1st April 1918 he was transferred to the newly formed Royal Air Force and given the service number 205127. He gave his next of kin as his mother, Naomi (although this is written as “father” on his Air Force service record) who was still living at 21 Sun Street, Lewes. On 1st July 1918 he was promoted to corporal mechanic and remained in this role until his demob and transfer to the RAF Reserve on 21st May 1919.

Harry Urry was entitled to the British War and Victory Medals and these were despatched to him on 4th May 1922.