William Haward - The Story of a Local Little Hero.

William's Father, Alfred Hayward, Mother Sarah Hayward and his four month old baby Sister Annie Elizabeth were all killed in the early hours of the 21st January 1891 by a landslip that occurred above their home near Arpinge Kent. Melting snow caused the rented family home to slide down the bank and flip over. It was completely destroyed but three children sleeping at the back of the house somehow survived the disaster. They were William aged 10, Jane aged 8 and 20 month old Walter. William woke up naked and freezing in a field but had the presence of mind to find and free his younger siblings from the debris. He then carried baby Walter some distance to a neighbours house to get help. The incident was widely reported in the newspapers of the time and William was described by the Coroner, at the inquest into the deaths, as brave and heroic.

Because the incident was reported so widely, money started to be donated and a fund presided over by the Mayor was set up to support the children. Generous donations from Ladys and Dukes were made as well as from many lesser folk. Nearly every soldier on the Shorncliffe Army Camp donated a day's pay and in just 7 days over £200 had been collected. A poem penned by George Thorn to honour William appeared in the local newspaper and for his bravery William was awarded The Silver Medal of Honour by the Society of the Golden Cord.

By WWI William is now a Tailor and has a wife and four children of his own. He married Louisa Alice Underdown at the Weslyan Chapel on Grace Hill Folkestone on the 4th August 1902. Five daughters and one son were born to them. Winifred in 1903, twins Lily and Rose in 1905, Alice in 1908 who died as an infant and twins Alfred and Amy in 1910. Sadly one twin, Alfred also died as an infant.

On the 3rd December 1915 William attested to the Army in Folkestone and bravely fought in WWI. He served as Private G/9986 and joined the 3rd Battalion of The Buffs West Kent Regiment. On the 14 Dec 1916 he embarked to France. His war record shows he was wounded a number of times, including a gunshot wound to his knee and hand. Each time he was injured he re-joined his battalion and returned to the front. He also suffered gas poisoning on the 9th August 1918.

In an ironic and cruel twist of fate, while William fought in and survived WWI, sadly his wife Louisa was killed in Folkestone during the Tontine Street Air Raid of the 25th May 1917. German bombers destined for London had to abort their mission due to thick fog but shed their bombs over Kent instead. They killed a total of 97 people, 61 of them while shopping and queuing for Stokes the Greengrocers on Tontine Street. Louisa was buried in Cheriton Road Cemetery - Section 15 Grave No 2758.

By 1939 when the Register was taken in the lead up to WWII, we find William who's status is a Widow and occupation is still a Tailor, living in the family home at 38 Thanet Gardens in Folkestone. He remained in this house until he died in 1967 and is buried with Louisa in Cheriton Road Cemetery. However, the modest headstone only has Louisa inscribed on it. William's daughter Winifred died on Christmas Eve 1959 and is also buried in the same plot.