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Council visits French town to pay tributes
ADELEGATION fromMaidstone Council went to France as part of the centennial anniversary of the start ofWorldWar I. Councillors Brian Mortimer,Dan
Daley, Gordon Newton and David Pickett are visiting the French vil- lage of Montauban in the Somme, to lay wreaths in memory of the many soldiers who died fighting for our freedom. The self-funded council quartet,
along with French-speaking Colin Leith from Coxheath, was due to meet civic dignitaries in Mon- tauban, which was “adopted” by Maidstone at the end ofWorldWar I, in memory of the 10th RoyalWest Kent Regiment which was de- ployed there in 1916 – many of them never to return. After the war, as part of a na-
tional plea for British towns to adopt and help reinstate French vil- lages, Maidstone paid for the build- ing of awater tower in Montauban to help counter a heatwave and drought, while 1,000 cider apple trees were also shipped over to
Cllr Brian Mortimer with the medals awarded to his grandfather
help replant the devastated or- chards in the Somme. The water towerwas officially opened in 1925 by the then Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Frederick EdwinWallis. The visitwas especially poignant
for Cllr Mortimer, whose grandfa- ther Sgt William Mortimer served with the Old Contemptibles in France. As well as the British War Medal and Victory Medal, he was awarded the 1914 Star and a Mili-
tary Medal for an act of bravery – all of which are now framed, along with old family photos, and take pride of place in Cllr Mortimer’s Coxheath home. At the time, the family lived in Folkestone and, after being wounded in 1917, Sgt Mortimer was sent home on leave for two months. He then returned to the front line until the end of the war the following year. He died in 1942 at the age of 56,
from the lingering effects of the mustard gas to which he was ex- posed during the war. Cllr Mortimer said: “I feel very honoured and proud that my grandfatherwas among those who fought for the freedom we have today. It is only right that we should remember them on this, the centenary of the war.” The Maidstone delegation was
due to lay a wreath at the war me- morial in Montauban and another in the localwar cemetery, aswell as visiting the water tower, which is no longer in use.
WorldWar I | News Library hosts
exhibition AN exhibition called “Snodland and the Great War” is being held in Snodland Library. There will be a talk by Dr An-
drewAshbee, museum curator and chairman of the historical society, from 7pm to 8pm on September 9. On Remembrance Sunday (No-
vember 9) and for a few days after- wards, exhibitions will be held in All Saints’ Church and Christ Church, Malling Road. The latter will focus on the Ham Hill and Lower Birling men on the church memorial. The churches will be open to all and it is hoped schoolswill visit.
Booklet tribute FORMERMayor of Maidstone and ex-Chart Sutton parish councillor Mike FitzGerald has compiled his own 20-page tribute to the fallen in the village. Mike, of Laxton Drive, asked de- scendants to share their memories for a booklet, distributed with the parish magazine in August. He said: “Iwas keen to record the honour and contribution and sacri- fice made by the people of Chart Sutton during the GreatWar.” The booklet also includes the village Roll of Honour.
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