Christening 1918 Tree Planting Proxy Godfathers 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. People are gathered beside a fence around the site of the tree planting. Within the fence are a smaller group of people, some holding the tree being planted. They include, on the left Major PHG Powell-Cotton (1866-1940) the father, next is Sergeant Alexander Gibson of the 19th Battalion, Australian Infantry Force. His home was in Sydney. 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. Next to him is James Cornford, the Head Gardener at Quex. The other soldier is Corporal William Kite from Birmingham, a British soldier in the Labour Corps. He spent three months as a patient at St Mary's, the annexe to the Quex Park VAD Hospital. He stood proxy for the other Godfather. The Godmothers were the 33 members of Kent/178, the Birchington Voluntary Aid Detachment. The invitation for the Christening included the words While the Hospital at Quex, and the Rations, make entertaining impossible, Major and Mrs Powell-Cotton will be very pleased to see Tenants and Friends, without whose presence and good wishes the Ceremony would seem incomplete

1866 Afterwards Annexe Birchington Bravery Christening Corporal Detachment Entertaining Gardener Godfather Godfathers Godmothers Impossible Include Incomplete Invitation Kite Marys Planted Planting Pleased Presence Proxy Quex Rations Recuperation Rehabilitation Returned Seem Smaller Spent Tenants Voluntary Wishes

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