Pluckley War Dead – Roll
Recent Conflicts
Corporal Marc Taylor
Corporal Marc Taylor was in the REME Corps and was sadly killed in action in Iraq on 28th September 2004. He died following the ambush of a military convoy south-west of Basra Province.
https://www.gov.uk/government/fatalities/corporal-marc-taylor
World War 2 Dead
WW2 Active Service fatalities
There are 2 known fatalities on active service for Pluckley residents.
Sister Olive May Jean Haffenden
Sister Haffenden was a serving member of the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service. She is buried in Chittagong War Cemetery, India. See details here:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2180753/HAFFENDEN,%20OLIVE%20MAY%20JEAN
William Charles Walsh
William Charles Walsh was a driver in the Royal Army Service Corps. His name appears on the Alamein War Memorial – there is no known grave. See details here:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/4041003/WELCH,%20WILLIAM%20CHARLES
WW2 Civilian Deaths
There are 2 civilian deaths recorded with Pluckley connections – Arnell Thorp and Charles Alfred Ashdown. Please see the attached link to the Kent Fallen website which gives details of these fatalities. http://www.kentfallen.com/PDF%20REPORTS/PLUCKLEY%20WW2.pdf
Arnell Thorp
Arnell Thorp was killed by a doodlebug strike on the Old Manor in Pluckley. The building was destroyed in this strike.
Charles Alfred Ashdown
Charles Alfred Ashdown was a railway employee at Staplehurst Station. He was killed at the age of 18 in the Battle of Britain (15 September 1940). A British Hurricane plane was badly damaged by a German Luftwaffe Messerscmitt and crashed onto Staplehurst station where he was working. The pilot of the Hurricane had been killed and the plane had flown out of control for some miles before crashing onto Staplehurst Railway Station. Please go onto the website here for full details of this story.
World War 1 Dead
There are a total of 41 people who died as a result of active service and who are linked to Pluckley. The details of all these people can be found in the attached file http://www.kentfallen.com/PDF%20REPORTS/PLUCKLEY.pdf
This gives a very comprehensive amount of information on each of these individuals, including two men who died as German prisoner of war internees. For some, there are sadly no known graves but their deaths are commemorated on war memorials around the world. Please read to gain a better understanding of the sacrifices made by our local people.