The Kent History Forum

Burial Places and Memorials => Other Memorials => Topic started by: castle261 on January 16, 2020, 07:16:38 PM

Title: Royal Marine Cadet`s Memorial.
Post by: castle261 on January 16, 2020, 07:16:38 PM
There was the story of the tragic case of the Royal Marine Cadets accident on Dock Road.
A memorial was placed in the wall of Dock Road, to place where the accident happened.
The Cadets were marching, on their way for some activity in or near the Royal Naval barracks.
It was getting dark - when a bus came down the hill, using only his sidelights - went into the
marching group - causing many deaths & casualties. Maybe this story was on the KHF site.
Title: Re: Royal Marine Cadet`s Memorial.
Post by: stuartwaters on January 17, 2020, 10:02:10 AM
It was on the old Forum. They were marching from Melville Barracks towards the Dockyard, in dense fog when they were hit by the bus.


The site of the former Melville Barracks is now occupied by the Melville Court Estate.


The dead are buried in the Military Cemetery on Woodlands Road, Gillingham in a plot maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission I believe. There was also a scandal around the fate of money donated for the families. All was detailed on the original Forum.
Title: Re: Royal Marine Cadet`s Memorial.
Post by: MartinR on January 17, 2020, 11:37:44 AM
Put "dock road cadets" into your favorite search engine and you will get many results.  Among them:
Title: Re: Royal Marine Cadet`s Memorial.
Post by: grandarog on January 17, 2020, 06:02:49 PM
As an after math of the tragedy it was Made Forces Law that the  Rear Guard and Marker of any body of Marching Men should carry Red Lanterns.
Title: Re: Royal Marine Cadet`s Memorial.
Post by: stuartwaters on January 17, 2020, 06:41:16 PM
If you would like to look at your post stuartwaters- a correction is needed. ( first line )


Oops, my mistake......
Title: Re: Royal Marine Cadet`s Memorial.
Post by: MartinR on January 17, 2020, 11:18:48 PM
The red lights were written into the Scout Handbook by 1970, and were also in Air Cadet instructions.  Today Highway Code rule 5 (organised walks) requires red lights at the back and white lights at the front.
Title: Re: Royal Marine Cadet`s Memorial.
Post by: KeithG on May 10, 2020, 03:23:41 PM
One of my friends from school I still see his wife's elder brother was one killed James Cunningham he was just 12yrs old.
Title: Re: Royal Marine Cadet`s Memorial.
Post by: Colin walsh on December 19, 2020, 01:25:39 PM
At the time of the incident,I was a member of the sea cadets ,our base was at the bottom of Kitchener road ,in part of the old fort,the Marine cadets were on there way to a boxing tournament in the collingwood gym,I remember it very well,we were already in the gym when the news came through regarding the tragedy,most vivid memory was the fog ,it REALY was a pea Souper,my opo and I,Dennis Shacklton had to walk home to Rochester.after Chatham &District recalls there buses

Title: Re: Royal Marine Cadet`s Memorial.
Post by: AlanTH on December 20, 2020, 09:39:59 AM
I just remember visiting my elder bro in St Barts just after the accident and meeting a couple of the survivors. Of course at my age then (7) the horror of it didn't register much. I believe the Chief Inspector who investigated the accident was named Arthur Crouch who later on after leaving the police, became the Hackney Carriage Inspector for the local area. Real dry sense of humour that man had.
Did Dennis Shackleton live up Baker St? If so he was a friend of my brothers as we lived at number 49 until about a year later.
AlanH.


 
Title: Re: Royal Marine Cadet`s Memorial.
Post by: CAT on December 20, 2020, 12:57:07 PM
I have in my collection a series of pics of the funeral for the cadets, but have resisted posting them due to sensitivity as they show open graves with headstones and the churchyard ceremony.
Title: Re: Royal Marine Cadet`s Memorial.
Post by: Colin walsh on December 20, 2020, 05:32:38 PM
AlanTH,ref Dennis Shackleton he lived just off the Delce road somewhere,had an elder brother I think
There was a small group of Rochester boys in the sea cadets at the time,Colin Godfrey,Malcolm Ellis ,Spencer Murry a few names I recall ,
.A large amount of mony was donated by the public,I think that a problem arose distributing it,?