KINGSNORTH - Kent Fallen

NORTON A.D
Private 3895 Alfred Donald NORTON. 6 th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent
Regiment). Died 27 March 1915. Aged 19 years. Born and resided Plaxtol, Sevenoaks, Kent.
Enlisted Ramsgate, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Son of William J. and Louisa M. Norton of Grange
Cottage, Plaxtol, Kent. Buried Plaxtol, Sevenoaks, Kent Churchyard. Commemorated on the
Plaxtol, Kent, civic war memorial.
Places of birth etcetera as shown above are as recorded in/on SDGW. It would appear likely that
Alfred’s place of birth is amongst the numerous SDGW recorded error’s, and that he was in fact
probably a native of Kingsnorth, Kent. Unfortunately the census entry does not say which
Kingsnorth i.e. near Ashford or on the Isle of Grain. At the time of the 1901 census the Norton
family resided at The Spout, Plaxtol. Head of the house was 34 year old Bethersden, Ashford,
Kent, native William J. Norton who was employed as a Coachman (Domestic). His 30 year old
wife was a native of Wychling, Kent, in much the same way as the entry for her son Alfred, the
census entry does not say which Wychling i.e. near Sittingbourne or Chislehurst. It would appear
that Alfred was born Kingsnorth, Ashford, as there was a matching birth registered in the West
Ashford District during the first quarter of 1896.
PILBEAM W.A
Sapper 13556 William Arnold PILBEAM. 2 nd Field Company, Royal Engineers (RE).
Formerly 1 st Sussex, Royal Engineers (Territorial Force). Died 6 th October 1915 aged 32
years. Born Maidstone. Enlisted Tonbridge 15 March 1904. Resided Dover. Son of Jane
Elizabeth Judges of 2, Noahs Ark Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Formerly 12 Wyndham
Road, Tower Hamlets, Dover, Kent. Nephew of Miss A Pilbeam of Chart Road, Kingsnorth,
Ashford, Kent. Buried in the Y Farm Military Cemetery, Bois-Grenier, France. Grave reference
M.22.
His service papers dated 1914 give this information about next of kin - Half Brother of Frederick
Judges (23) and Kate Ann (26) and Maryline Mary (24).
According to his military service papers, prior to the outbreak of war William was an Engine Driver
(Road) woking for the South Eastern & Chatham Railway. His name doesn’t appear on the Dover
Marine Railway Memorial. Obviously a forgotten man in this respect. He served in the Terrotorial
Force R.E from 1904 onwards before the outbreak of war which explains why he volunteered for
war service with the Royal Engineers. He ended his Territorial Force engagement 14 March
1912.
William landed France 5 November 1914.
Entitled to the 1914 Star, BWM, Victory Medal.
Miss A Pilbeam of Kingsnorth was William’s recorded next of kin.
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