Tune in Sunday to listen between 6 and 8am to ringing and interview around peal of 8-spliced at St Michael and All Angels, Maidstone, details as follows:

Rung on 100th anniversary of the death of Private James Walter Capeling.

James was born in Biddenden in 1898 and his parents moved to Maidstone, firstly to Tonbridge Road and then to Hartnup Street. He was from a family of 11 children.

James enlisted in the war and served in the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment. ( 7th Bn. Service No G/25350 ) He died of wounds during the Battle of St Quentin on the Somme on 28th March 1918 aged 19. He was buried by the Germans in Monceau-le-Neil Communal Cemetery in the German Extension. However, his grave was lost, so he is commemorated with a special gravestone at Ribemont Communal Cemetery Extension, Aisne, France.

James was a bellringer at st Michael and All Angels and was the last of the 5 Ringers from this Tower killed in WW1. His name is on a War Memorial to the Ringers in the Belfry. He was amongst the 83 men killed in WW1 from this Parish.
R.I.P.

“We will remember them”