Kentish Express Ashford & District
War memorial in place for villages after six decades
It has been 66 years in the making, but Aldington finally has a war memorial where the village’s war heroes are commemorated.
Fifty men from the villages of Aldington and Bonnington fought and died in the First and Second World Wars, but a memorial was never put up in their memory. Two small plaques in the village chapel – which incidently had 23 names missing – were all that remembered the men who gave their lives.
Some 600 people turned out to see the memorial finally unveiled on Saturday, with wreaths and crosses placed for each man.
Designed by villager Phil Cowell in the shape of an A for Aldington, the memorial also features two commemorative benches for the regiments stationed at Aldington – the 92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, and the 59th (Newfoundland) Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery.
David Hughes, chairman of the memorial committee, said: “I didn’t think I’d see a memorial in the village before I died.
“We’ve raised all the money in less than two years, which has been brilliant for the people of Aldington and Bonnington and their generosity.
“It’s almost something that has brought the village together, which is really nice.”
Coincidentally, the father of Sir Reginald Blomfield – the man whose Cross of Sacrifice design forms the basis for most war memorials across the coun- try – was a vicar in Aldington. Mr Hughes said: “What’s bugged me is his father was vicar of Aldington and we’ve never had one.”
He recalled how one of the veterans who attended said he had never heard Last Post sounded so well in more than 30 years of attending parades and remembrance services. He also spoke of a touching moment when a young boy wanted to donate his pocket money to the fund.
Mr Hughes said: “His mum said it’s made his day to think he could help and I could see his face and he was beaming, which got me a bit. Seeing those 50 crosses it shows the true impact and the numbers.”