War Memorial
The Veterans Affairs Canada website lists two soldiers named William Crossland, and the village's local history society has been looking into which of them has a local link.
The first served as a Private, regimental number 622932, with the 27th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment). He signed up in Canada on 19 April 1915 and lost his life on 15 September 1916, at the age of 32. He was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, on 3 October 1886, the son of William and Jesstina Crossland, who were living at 11 Little Mount Sion in the town at the time of the 1901 census. His widow, Edith May Johnson, formerly Crossland, settled in Pleasantdale, Saskatchewan. He is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial in Pas de Calais, France.
The second man was William Atkin Crossland, a Sergeant, number 79235, serving with the 31st Battalion, Alberta Regiment. He enlisted in Canada on 17 November 1914 and died on 4 April 1916, aged 23. Born in Sheffield on 25 November 1892, his next of kin was J. Crossland of 185 Gibraltar Street, Sheffield. He is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium. So far, no connection to our area has been traced for him.
Both men are commemorated locally: their names appear on the war memorial at Chiddingstone Causeway and on the Edenbridge Hospital War Memorial. This page was last updated on 7 November 2008.