‘A memorial was erected as the Walmer Airfield Memorial in memory of the gallant airmen who gave their lives in France, who were stationed at the Walmer Aerodrome between April 1917 and October 1918. The memorial was presented on Saturday 7th August 1920 by Countess Beauchamp. Almost three quarters of the pilots came from overseas, including men from Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The site of the former aerodrome is now known as Hawkshill Freedown and is a public common maintained by Walmer Parish Council.
The airmen commemorated by the memorial are;
Flt Cmdr. F C Armstrong, DSC – Missing (believed killed) 25/3/18, Flt Sub Lt. F E Bayley, DFC – Killed 23-10/18, Flt Sub Lt. E J Buckley, Two Foreign – Kill in action 28/9/17, Flt. Cmdr. S T Edwards, DSC and bar – Died (Aero accident) 22/11/18, Lieut. J E Green – Killed 5/11/18, Flt Lt. E T Hayne, DSC – Killed (Aero accident) 24/4/19, Lieut. C R R Hickey – Accidentally killed, Flt Lt. R A S Hill – Missing 12/8/19, Flt Cmdr. R A Little, DSC and bar, USC and bar – Killed in action 27/5/18, Flt Lt. J G Manuel, DSC – Dead 10/6/18, A/Flt Cmdr. R McDonald – Died 14/7/19, Squ Cmdr. T C Vernon – Died of wounds 15/9/17, Flt Cmdr. R R Winter – Killed in action 3/2/18, Flt Sub Lt. D R C Wright – Killed 23/12/17.’
Image and text courtesy of Colin Varrall