On  the 12th September 1945 four American soldiers of the 306th Port Company of the 509th Port Battalion of the US Transportation Corps were killed in a horrific accident at the Goods Shed at Walmer Station, near Deal in Kent. Vapour ignited when they were filling a petrol tank wagon with fuel siphoned from the SS James Harrod, a Liberty Ship that had grounded off Deal following a collision whilst en-route to Antwerp. The four men were: Harold Beckwith from Lake Landing, Hyde, North Carolina, Bernie L.D. Chambers from Kannapolis, Cabarrus, North Carolina, Charles Howard Freeman from Oronoco, Caroline County, Virginia, William Cornell Paden from Greenville, South Carolina

All the men were African Americans. They had all served in Europe, on the Normandy beaches and then at the docks at Rouen before arriving at Ringwould after VE Day or the offloading.  The 75th Anniversary was on 12 September 2020 and it had been intended to install the permanent wall plaque then, funded by Walmer Parish Council and the American Legion and a GoFundMe page raised the remaining £700 required and also produced a commemorative booklet relating the story.

Deal Branch RMA were invited to the event, a wreath was laid by Bob Davies who also  took the photographs shown he was supported by four members of Deal Wrens.

AL