Walmer Station War Memorial
Donativo protegido
On the 12th September 1945 four American soldiers of the 306th Port Company of the 509th Port Battalion of the US Transportation Corps were killed in a horrific accident at the Goods Shed at Walmer Station, near Deal in Kent. Vapour ignited when they were filling a petrol tank wagon with fuel siphoned from the SS James Harrod, a Liberty Ship that had grounded off Deal following a collision whilst en-route to Antwerp. The four men were:
Tec. 4 Harold BECKWITH from: Lake Landing, Hyde, North Carolina
Tec. 5 Bennie L. D. CHAMBERS from: Kannapolis, Cabarrus, North Carolina
Pte. Charles Howard FREEMAN from: Oronoco, Caroline County, Virginia
Tec. 4 William Cornell PADEN from: Greenville, South Carolina
All the men were African-Americans. They had all served in Europe, on the Normandy beaches and then at the docks at Rouen before arriving at Ringwould after VE Day for the offloading.
The 12th September 2020 will be the 75th Anniversary of the accident. This GoFundMe page is to help fund the installation of a 3ft permanent memorial plaque and commemoration ceremony at Walmer Station at 1pm on that day. Walmer Parish Council and the American Legion will be contributing towards the plaque, but I still need to raise about £700 to pay for it to be manufactured.
If we raise more than £700, the excess will be put towards the publication of a commemorative booklet available at the station telling the story of the SS James Harrod, the 509th Port Battalion and the disaster.
Please consider contributing so these men, and the contribution of African-Americans in the war, are remembered.
Tec. 4 Harold BECKWITH from: Lake Landing, Hyde, North Carolina
Tec. 5 Bennie L. D. CHAMBERS from: Kannapolis, Cabarrus, North Carolina
Pte. Charles Howard FREEMAN from: Oronoco, Caroline County, Virginia
Tec. 4 William Cornell PADEN from: Greenville, South Carolina
All the men were African-Americans. They had all served in Europe, on the Normandy beaches and then at the docks at Rouen before arriving at Ringwould after VE Day for the offloading.
The 12th September 2020 will be the 75th Anniversary of the accident. This GoFundMe page is to help fund the installation of a 3ft permanent memorial plaque and commemoration ceremony at Walmer Station at 1pm on that day. Walmer Parish Council and the American Legion will be contributing towards the plaque, but I still need to raise about £700 to pay for it to be manufactured.
If we raise more than £700, the excess will be put towards the publication of a commemorative booklet available at the station telling the story of the SS James Harrod, the 509th Port Battalion and the disaster.
Please consider contributing so these men, and the contribution of African-Americans in the war, are remembered.
Organizador
Phil Eyden
Organizador
England
