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Christening 1918 Tree Planting Soldiers Group
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Christening 1918 Tree Planting Soldiers Group
Christopher Powell-Cotton (1918-2006) was christenend at All Saints Church, Birchington on 20 April 1918. Afterwards a tree was planted in the grounds of Quex Park. A group of soldiers are standing around the tree. On the right is James Cornford, the Head Gardener at Quex. On the far left is Sergeant Alexander Gibson of the 19th Battalion, Australian Infantry Force. He was a patient at the Quex Park VAD hospital for 17 days in April 1918 and stood proxy for one of the Godfathers who was away on war duty. Gibson soon returned to active duty and in June 1918 he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery. The other soldiers include some more Australians. The civilians standing behind them may be Quex Estate workers. The Quex Park VAD Hospital opened on 15 October 1914 and closed on 31 January 1919. The hospital was run by Kent/178, the Birchington Detachment. The Commandant was Hannah Powell-Cotton (1881-1964), wife of Major Percy HG Powell-Cotton (1866-1940) of Quex Park, founder of the Powell-Cotton Museum. Date: 1918
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Media ID 14247597
© The Powell-Cotton Museum Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library
2006 Active Alexander Australian Away Battalion Birchington Christopher Cotton Days Duty Gardener Gibson Grounds Infantry Patient Planted Powell Quex Returned Saints Sergeant Stood Afterwards Proxy
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this poignant photograph taken in 1918, a group of soldiers and civilians gather around a newly planted tree at Quex Park, in Birchington, England. At the center of the image, a christened baby, Christopher Powell-Cotton, is cradled in the arms of an unidentified soldier. This momentous occasion took place on April 20, 1918, at All Saints Church, following the infant's christening. The tree planting ceremony held special significance as it was a tradition at Quex Park to plant a tree for every newborn child of the estate. The soldiers present were patients at the nearby Quex Park VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) hospital, which had opened in October 1914 and closed in January 1919. The hospital was run by the Kent/178, Birchington Detachment, with Hannah Powell-Cotton, wife of Major Percy HG Powell-Cotton, the founder of the Powell-Cotton Museum at Quex Park, serving as the Commandant. Among the soldiers present is Sergeant Alexander Gibson of the 19th Battalion, Australian Infantry Force. Gibson stood proxy for one of the Godfathers who was away on war duty. Just a few weeks after the tree planting ceremony, Gibson returned to active duty and was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in June 1918. Other soldiers in the photograph are also identified as Australians, and the civilians behind them may be Quex Estate workers. This poignant photograph captures the spirit of community and resilience during a time of war, as soldiers and civilians came together to celebrate the arrival of a new life.
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