East Wickham and Welling War Memorial Trust

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East Wickham and Welling War Memorial Trust

A grant giving Charity for the people of East Wickham and Welling, remembering the Men from the district who died in The Great War 1914-1918.

A trust in relation to War Memorials in East Wickham & Welling.

13/10/2026

A REAL-LIFE LIFESAVER! … We were delighted to award a community grant to our local St John Ambulance (SJA) to purchase a new defibrillator. We’re pleased to share that it’s already been used.
The grant was officially presented during one of SJA’s meeting nights, and they kindly returned the favour by training some of our members in CPR and how to use a defibrillator - skills that, hopefully, we’ll never need, but that could one day make all the difference.
A huge thank you to the amazing team at St John Ambulance for everything they do to support and protect our community. We’re incredibly proud to have played a small part in helping them continue their vital, lifesaving work.

11/10/2026

11th October 1918…REMEMBERING RIFLEMAN WILLIE PERRETT.

This cheery-looking young chap was William (“Willie”) Perrett – he was killed in action on the Western Front on this day in 1918, just a month before the Great War ended.

Willie was the son of David & Mary Perrett of Bourne Road in Bexley (David is listed as having various jobs including a basket maker and a general labourer…)
We have a few Bexley Archives photos of Bourne Road at the time Willie and his family would have known it…

Willie served with 3rd Btn. R***e Brigade - taking part in the final and bloody Allied advances of the First World War (the so-called Hundred Days Offensive). He was killed in action, and is now buried in the St. Aubert British Cemetery in France (pictured).

His name today can be seen on the Old Bexley Village War Memorial.

Willie Perrett was just 18 years old.
………………………………………………………………
RIFLEMAN WILLIE PERRETT - REMEMBERED TODAY BY THE EWWWMT
https://www.ewt.org.uk/

10/10/2026

ARCHIVE PICKS – PICS FROM 1926

Another fine old photo from a century ago…

This is the junction of Baldwyn’s Park and Tile Kiln Lane, looking really rather rural almost…

09/10/2026

LATE POST – An old Post Office…

Here’s a pre-WW1 photo, (c1905?) of the old Bexley Post Office at 42 High Street Bexley…
(This was in the days before Postmen wore shorts, evidently…)

08/10/2026

THE TRUST WAS DELIGHTED to hear from 4th Welling (Methodist) Scout Group about their first international trip - to Kandersteg, the International Scout Centre (KISC) in Switzerland – following a grant from the Trust.

Leader, Laura, writes: “As a leader, the highlight for me on this trip was seeing the excitement on the young people’s faces. They all tried something new from rock climbing up in the mountains to white water rafting where they were able to feel the point where the river connected with the lake as the water went from cold to hot. They were all astounded with the amazing scenery and explained they had never seen somewhere so beautiful. [We] were so overwhelmed with your kind grant which massively helped bring our cost down. Again, thank you so much from the bottom of all of our hearts! These children had the opportunity to make memories that will last them a lifetime and your grant helped that become possible.”

It’s great to hear you had such a worthwhile trip!

07/10/2026

7TH OCTOBER 1940 – REMEMBERING RAF SPITFIRE PILOT JOHN WILLIAM BROADHURST.
This is Pilot Officer john William Broadhurst, whose Spitfire was shot down on 7th October 1940 – and this is his wedding day, just a few months earlier…

John was born in Plumstead, in March 1917. His father, Sam, was a 'Fitter (Government Dockyard)' and in the 1939 register is listed as 'Inspector Engineers'.
The family lived at 108 Mayplace Road East, Barnehurst. An Erith Grammar School pupil, he joined the RAF on a short service commission and began his training in February 1939.

Recently married in the summer of 1940 – his wife, Edith Lilian was a secretary at the Vitbe Flour Mills at Crayford…
He was posted to 222 Squadron at its reformation at Duxford on 5th October 1939. Initially equipped with Blenheims, the squadron received Spitfires in March 1940…for more on John’s RAF service see http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/BroadhurstJW.htm

His Spitfire, P9469, was shot down on 7th October 1940 during an attack on enemy bombers – he baled out, but did not survive.

Aged just 23 he is buried at Hornchurch Cemetery, Essex.
His name was recorded on the Erith Grammar School memorial tablet and on the Crayford Manor House War Memorial.
…………………………………………………….
John William BROADHURST 1917 – 1940
REMEMBERED TODAY BY THE EWWWMT
https://www.ewt.org.uk/

06/10/2026

6th oct 1942 – Remembering a Bexleyheath born heroine - Stewardess Lily Anne Green, Merchant Navy, S.S. "Andalucia Star”…
Awarded the King's commendation for brave conduct.

Lilian Green (nee Harvey) was born in Bexleyheath in 1883 and baptised at Christ Church Bexleyheath – the family lived in Standard Road. (Our Bexley Archives photos of the road and the church are from around that time).
A widow, she went on to become a stewardess in the Merchant Navy…
She also went on to become yet another of those long-lost heroines and casualties of the war…
Her ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sunk off the coast of Africa…

You can read more details here; https://www.cwgc.org/stories/stories/stewardess-lily-anne-green-merchant-navy-ss-andalucia-star-london/

Today you can see her name on the Merchant Navy Memorial at Tower Hill.
………………………………………………………
Stewardess Lily Anne Green, Merchant Navy, S.S. "Andalucia Star”…
REMEMBERED TODAY BY THE EWWWMT
https://www.ewt.org.uk/

04/10/2026

THE CLOCKTOWER FROM BYGONE TIMES…In colour!

Here’s a nice image, you’ll still recognize…Now colourized, we think it was originally taken around 1944.

03/10/2026

3RD OCTOBER 1917 – REMEMBERING ARTHUR JOHN BURKIN - Australian Machine Gun Corps.
SIDCUP – QUEENSLAND – BELGIUM
This man firing the machine gun is Private Arthur John Burkin, who was killed in action during the Battle of Passchendaele on this day in 1917.

Serving with the Australian Machine Gun Corps, Arthur (and his family) had emigrated from England to Eudlo, Queensland, in 1912; young Arthur found work there as a storekeeper, but in 1916 he enlisted, left Australia, and never returned…
Before they left for a new life, the Burkins had lived in Sidcup – they’d lived in Alma Road and Arthur attended the Sidcup National School (both pictured).

With no known grave, Arthur’s name today can be found on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, pictured…
Our other photo shows Eudlo Railway Station, where Arthur would have departed from on his way to war…
…………………………………………………….
PRIVATE A.J. BURKIN 1894-1917
REMEMBERED TODAY BY THE EWWWMT
https://www.ewt.org.uk/

01/10/2026

THE MANE EVENT … We were so pleased to welcome the King’s Royal Horse Artillery to the Memorial Orchard opening so had to give the amazing horses and the wonderful soldiers on horseback a separate post. They could almost have been transported in time from WW1. We discovered this was not because they had dressed up especially for us (as if!), but because their dress uniform is based on the WW1 uniform. Two of the soldiers even sported regulation curly moustaches - because the facial hair regulations also date back to that time (maybe before?) and moustaches cannot fall below the lip line. The horses were very gentle with excited children – and to be fair excited adults – stroking them and the soldiers were endlessly patient with our questions. Thank you to the five soldiers, horses and their sergeant-major for coming.
Some of our WW1 soldiers served in the Royal Horse Artillery. One who it is easy to overlook is Boy John Hewson. He was just 14 when the war ended, and had probably looked after the horses. He never progressed from the rank of Boy, would have seen no service overseas and died of Spanish flu in a hospital in Brighton in August 1919 aged 15. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission recognised him as a man who gave his life for the war.
The inscription on his gravestone, in St Michael’s Church, Welling, read GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. Boy John Hewson, we remember you. https://www.ewt.org.uk/memorial-names/hewson/

Address

London
DA162TF

Website

http://ewt.org.uk/

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