A number of Councillors from the Conservative Group as well as Rt Hon Kelly Tolhurst MP attended a powerful Prisoner of War (POW) service at the St Georges Centre on the 18th November 2023.
During the 18th and 19th centuries large numbers of foreign nationals were captured by British forces and held in Prison Hulks on the River Medway in Chatham, many Russian POWs were also held in Sheerness during the Crimean War. Many of those who died in Medway as a prisoner of war were laid to rest on St Mary’s Island, it is on record that authorities at the time didn’t know how many men were buried there, as well as a lack of details for the purposes of identification.
The event ended with the Bugler playing the last post and a minutes silence before a blessing from the Mayors Chaplin, events like this remind us all of Medway’s long and complex history. Speaking about the service Opposition frontbencher Cllr Perfect said,
"The Prisoner of War service was both moving and informative, it was sad to learn of the countless men who had been taken as a POW here in Medway whilst also learning a great deal about Medway’s deep and fascinating history.”
