As a postman you would think it would be easy to get a
photograph of a war memorial from a neighbouring office. Despite numerous
requests I have had no luck until yesterday when I was sent to Crawley to deliver a round there. To my delight I was
able to find the memorial straight away and what a special one it is too.
It was originally placed in the old Crawley
post office building at the now disappeared Robinson road and has been hanging
in its present position for approximately 40 years. The original hanging
ceremony took place towards the end of 1919 and was reported as follows in the
local press:
There was a large gathering at the Crawley
post office on Sunday afternoon, when there was unveiled the war memorial
erected by past and present members of the staff to the memory of their
colleagues who made the supreme sacrifice in the war. In addition to the rector
and the postmaster and many other local dignitaries, all members of staff and
relatives of the fallen heroes were present.
Mr Clarke opened the proceedings in a brief speech in which
he said that everyone should realise how indebted we were to the men who died
giving their all that we might live to enjoy the heritage we did. England would
have been a far different place in which to live had the enemy conquered. He
knew all sympathised with the relatives left behind, and we should be grateful
for what the men had done for us.
Charles King had served the post office nearly 15 years,
William Joseph Thorndike (who was one of the ‘contemptibles’) and Herbert
Tester about 5 years. At the outbreak of war the staff had 23 men eligible for
the army, and of these 21 served, whilst the other was placed on most important
and indispensable duties in a coast town. The hymn ‘Through the night of doubt
and sorrow’ was sung, appropriate prayers were offered for the occasion and Mr
C. J. Mitchell then unveiled the memorial, which had been covered with the
Union Jack.
‘Let saints on earth in concert sing’ was the closing hymn,
and this brought a brief but very impressive service to a close. The memorial
consists of an oak tablet beautifully embellished by very fine carving, and
bares the words ‘In proud and grateful memory of Charles King, Herbert Tester,
William Joseph Thorndike, of the Crawley
postal staff, who made the supreme sacrifice 1914-1918. Their name liveth
forever more.’ Mr Harry Bacon executed the tablet, which hangs in the public
counter.
Rifleman Charles King was with the Post Office Rifles when
he was killed in action at Ypres on 20th
September 1917 at the age of 38. His body was never found and he is
commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ypres .
Herbert Clark Tester was a rifleman with the London Rifle
Brigade when eh was killed in action on 23rd September 1916 at the
age of 19. His was body was also never found and he is commemorated on Thiepval
memorial.
Serjeant William Joseph Thorndike appears to have survived
his time as one of the Old Contemptibles and was serving with the Military
Police Corp when he died at the age of 45 on the 21st March 1918 in Egypt . He is
buried in the Kantara war memorial cemetery 50 kilometres south of Port Said .
Very happy to have passed another milestone in my quest to
track down as many names of the Fallen of Crawley as possible.
