The Faversham

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The Faversham

• Gunpowder Mill Explosion

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World War 1

• From 1914, Britain was at war with Germany.

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Why was Faversham important in World War 1?

• Faversham was important as the Gunpowder Mill
  supplied explosives for the war effort.

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What happened at the Gunpowder Mill in 1916?
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The following information and images are from
http//www.roll-of-honour.com/Kent/FavershamExplo
sion.html

• On Sunday 2nd April 1916 a fire broke out
• in some empty sacks at the Gun Powder
• Works at Uplees, near Faversham.

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• An attempt was made to put out the fire to no
  avail and the factory manager ordered an
  evacuation of the site but it was too late.
• At 2.20pm an explosion occurred when 200 tons of
  TNT blew up while the evacuation was in progress.

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• The explosion was so large that windows across
  the Thames estuary, in Southend, were shattered
  and the tremor was felt in Norwich. The crater
  made by the explosion was over 36 metres across
  and over 6 metres deep.

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• 109 men and boys were killed, including the
  whole of the Works Fire Brigade who were trying
  to control the blaze.

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• The many bodies that were recovered were found
  in the surrounding marshes and dykes seven were
  recorded as missing, most probably disintegrated
  by the explosion.

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A mass grave was created for many of the dead in
Faversham Borough Cemetery at Ladydene, on the
Whitstable road.
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