Soldier Record

Private Sharp lied about his age to join up early. Originally enlisted in the Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles (Cavalry), but while in training at Woodbridge, Suffolk, "we had our horses taken away and replaced by bicycles - had to keep our spurs!"

He declined to attend remembrance parades as there were ' too many ghosts to remember and I have heard the Last Post too many times before'.

He arrived at Western Front as part of the 7th Battalion East Kent Regiment, "the buffs", in time for the Battle of Amiens, beginning 8 August 1918, where he was wounded and awarded the Military Medal. In September 1918, he was "mentioned in dispatches" for his actions while the battalion was involved in operations in the vicinity of Ronssoy from 18 to 25 September 1918. The Unit was at Pommereuil (near Le Cateau) at the time of the armistice. He was demobbed at the close of hostilities and had his Military Medal presented to him by the Mayor of Canterbury as he was too shy to go to the Palace. He rarely spoke of his experiences except to say that he won his awards for carrying messages while under fire. He declined to attend remembrance parades as there were " too many ghosts to remember and I have heard the Last Post too many times before". He was my maternal grandfather.