On July 11 1929 the local fire brigade held a fire demonstration during the annual fair. During the afternoon two of the men dressed up as a "bride" and "groom" and went around collecting contributions for the local hospital. In the evening they headed to a 40 foot structure made out of wood and canvas. This house was filled with "guests" of the wedding - local firemen, naval cadets and sea scouts. The plan was to light a fire in the house to make it appear that the house was on fire. The "guests" would cry for help and the Gillingham Fire Brigade would "rescue" them. Somehow this fire became real trapping the people in the structure.
All 15 men and boys that participated in this demonstration died including Cadet Leonard Charles Searles. Leonard, at aged 10, was the youngest person killed that day. Leonard was the son of Charles Thomas Searles and his wife Olive Jane Tumber. Charles and Olive were married in June of 1910. The family had earlier that same year lost their 6 year old daughter Winifred E Searles. When Leonard was buried, he was placed with his sister Winifred by the front gates of the cemetery.
Other sibling of Charles include Kathleen Olive Searles and Edith J (born December 30, 1914). Kathleen married James Harold Martin who was lost at sea in 1941 aboard the HMS Exmoor. Kathleen married again to Patrick Arthur Hendy in 1946. He passed away in Gillingham in 1956. Kathleen Olive Hendy passed away on January 26th 2000 in Gillingham. Edith married Edmund Bryant in 1939. She passed away in 1997 in Kent.
Charles's mother died in 1945 at the age of 59. His father would pass away in 1938 at the age of 58.
Leonard's grave is now unmarked. There was a Kerb placed on or about August 23, 1930 with chips added in May of 1940. Many of the graves in this area have no markers and likey have been cleared in some type of clearence scheme.
The men and boys who died are:
Scout Reginald Henry Lewis Barrett
Cadet David Stanley Brunning
Cadet Eric Edward Cheesman
Leslie George Neale
Cadet Leonard Charles Searles
Cadet Ivor Douglas Weston Sinden
William Herbert Jack Spinks
Robert Dennis Usher
Scout Leonard Gordon Winn
Fireman Francis Bull Cokayne
Ronald Royal George Mitchell
Fireman Albert Joseph Nicholls
Petty Officer John Thomas Nutton
Fireman Arthur John Tabrett
Frederick Arthur Worrall
More detailed information about this incident can be found at:
http://firemanswedding.weebly.com/
All 15 men and boys that participated in this demonstration died including Cadet Leonard Charles Searles. Leonard, at aged 10, was the youngest person killed that day. Leonard was the son of Charles Thomas Searles and his wife Olive Jane Tumber. Charles and Olive were married in June of 1910. The family had earlier that same year lost their 6 year old daughter Winifred E Searles. When Leonard was buried, he was placed with his sister Winifred by the front gates of the cemetery.
Other sibling of Charles include Kathleen Olive Searles and Edith J (born December 30, 1914). Kathleen married James Harold Martin who was lost at sea in 1941 aboard the HMS Exmoor. Kathleen married again to Patrick Arthur Hendy in 1946. He passed away in Gillingham in 1956. Kathleen Olive Hendy passed away on January 26th 2000 in Gillingham. Edith married Edmund Bryant in 1939. She passed away in 1997 in Kent.
Charles's mother died in 1945 at the age of 59. His father would pass away in 1938 at the age of 58.
Leonard's grave is now unmarked. There was a Kerb placed on or about August 23, 1930 with chips added in May of 1940. Many of the graves in this area have no markers and likey have been cleared in some type of clearence scheme.
The men and boys who died are:
Scout Reginald Henry Lewis Barrett
Cadet David Stanley Brunning
Cadet Eric Edward Cheesman
Leslie George Neale
Cadet Leonard Charles Searles
Cadet Ivor Douglas Weston Sinden
William Herbert Jack Spinks
Robert Dennis Usher
Scout Leonard Gordon Winn
Fireman Francis Bull Cokayne
Ronald Royal George Mitchell
Fireman Albert Joseph Nicholls
Petty Officer John Thomas Nutton
Fireman Arthur John Tabrett
Frederick Arthur Worrall
More detailed information about this incident can be found at:
http://firemanswedding.weebly.com/
On July 11 1929 the local fire brigade held a fire demonstration during the annual fair. During the afternoon two of the men dressed up as a "bride" and "groom" and went around collecting contributions for the local hospital. In the evening they headed to a 40 foot structure made out of wood and canvas. This house was filled with "guests" of the wedding - local firemen, naval cadets and sea scouts. The plan was to light a fire in the house to make it appear that the house was on fire. The "guests" would cry for help and the Gillingham Fire Brigade would "rescue" them. Somehow this fire became real trapping the people in the structure.
All 15 men and boys that participated in this demonstration died including Cadet Leonard Charles Searles. Leonard, at aged 10, was the youngest person killed that day. Leonard was the son of Charles Thomas Searles and his wife Olive Jane Tumber. Charles and Olive were married in June of 1910. The family had earlier that same year lost their 6 year old daughter Winifred E Searles. When Leonard was buried, he was placed with his sister Winifred by the front gates of the cemetery.
Other sibling of Charles include Kathleen Olive Searles and Edith J (born December 30, 1914). Kathleen married James Harold Martin who was lost at sea in 1941 aboard the HMS Exmoor. Kathleen married again to Patrick Arthur Hendy in 1946. He passed away in Gillingham in 1956. Kathleen Olive Hendy passed away on January 26th 2000 in Gillingham. Edith married Edmund Bryant in 1939. She passed away in 1997 in Kent.
Charles's mother died in 1945 at the age of 59. His father would pass away in 1938 at the age of 58.
Leonard's grave is now unmarked. There was a Kerb placed on or about August 23, 1930 with chips added in May of 1940. Many of the graves in this area have no markers and likey have been cleared in some type of clearence scheme.
The men and boys who died are:
Scout Reginald Henry Lewis Barrett
Cadet David Stanley Brunning
Cadet Eric Edward Cheesman
Leslie George Neale
Cadet Leonard Charles Searles
Cadet Ivor Douglas Weston Sinden
William Herbert Jack Spinks
Robert Dennis Usher
Scout Leonard Gordon Winn
Fireman Francis Bull Cokayne
Ronald Royal George Mitchell
Fireman Albert Joseph Nicholls
Petty Officer John Thomas Nutton
Fireman Arthur John Tabrett
Frederick Arthur Worrall
More detailed information about this incident can be found at:
http://firemanswedding.weebly.com/
All 15 men and boys that participated in this demonstration died including Cadet Leonard Charles Searles. Leonard, at aged 10, was the youngest person killed that day. Leonard was the son of Charles Thomas Searles and his wife Olive Jane Tumber. Charles and Olive were married in June of 1910. The family had earlier that same year lost their 6 year old daughter Winifred E Searles. When Leonard was buried, he was placed with his sister Winifred by the front gates of the cemetery.
Other sibling of Charles include Kathleen Olive Searles and Edith J (born December 30, 1914). Kathleen married James Harold Martin who was lost at sea in 1941 aboard the HMS Exmoor. Kathleen married again to Patrick Arthur Hendy in 1946. He passed away in Gillingham in 1956. Kathleen Olive Hendy passed away on January 26th 2000 in Gillingham. Edith married Edmund Bryant in 1939. She passed away in 1997 in Kent.
Charles's mother died in 1945 at the age of 59. His father would pass away in 1938 at the age of 58.
Leonard's grave is now unmarked. There was a Kerb placed on or about August 23, 1930 with chips added in May of 1940. Many of the graves in this area have no markers and likey have been cleared in some type of clearence scheme.
The men and boys who died are:
Scout Reginald Henry Lewis Barrett
Cadet David Stanley Brunning
Cadet Eric Edward Cheesman
Leslie George Neale
Cadet Leonard Charles Searles
Cadet Ivor Douglas Weston Sinden
William Herbert Jack Spinks
Robert Dennis Usher
Scout Leonard Gordon Winn
Fireman Francis Bull Cokayne
Ronald Royal George Mitchell
Fireman Albert Joseph Nicholls
Petty Officer John Thomas Nutton
Fireman Arthur John Tabrett
Frederick Arthur Worrall
More detailed information about this incident can be found at:
http://firemanswedding.weebly.com/
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