1891 Jul/Sep Born Ramsgate
1901 census at 28, Hibernia Street, Ramsgate
1911 census I cannot fnd him. I suspect he was a bandboy in East Kents
1914 Sep 7. Landed in France
1921 Nov 26 Died age 29 Son of Peter Spencer Gammon, and Caroline Gammon, of St. Jean, Cottage Rd., Ramsgate.
His commanding officer, Lieut. Colonel R. McDowall wrote to Gammon's parents: ‘I much regret to let you know that your son was killed in an ambush by the rebels on Friday evening the 26th inst. He and Corporal Hall also a Bandman were both killed, three men and an officer were injured as well. I knew your son personally and had a very great regard for him. We shall all feel the loss very much as he was so popular in the regiment to which he was devoted. I cannot let you know how grieved we all are about it. He was a brave lad and Buff to the back bone
His father worked at the Faversham Explosives Loading Company and distinguished himself following a disastrous explosion ripped through the factory. At about midday of 2nd April 1916, sparks from a boiler house set alight some empty sacks by the side of a shed containing T.N.T. and ammonium nitrate. Despite the best efforts of the work force, the fire took hold of the shed and the area was ordered to be cleared. Soon afterwards, at about 1.20 p.m., the building blew up and the resulting explosion triggered further explosions from the nitro-glycerine washing plant nearby. The main explosion left a crater some 40 yards across and 20 feet deep, destroying adjacent buildings and causing fires throughout the factory complex. Some 20 and 40 minutes after the main explosion two further explosions occurred and throughout the factory there was the continual danger of smaller but equally deadly detonations from munitions and mines. Into this lethal environment, teams of factory workers, fire brigade and army personnel attempted to tackle the blaze and rescue the injured, many of whom had suffered terrible burns. As many as 120 people died, victims were men and boys, including many firefighters who died in smaller explosions after the first blast. Around 70 of the dead were buried in a mass communal grave there just four days after the explosion which was described as being “So great that windows across the Thames estuary in Southend were shattered and the tremor was felt in Norwich
1920 Dec 3. Buried in Ramsgate Cemetery
