Lives of the First World War

In the uniform of the Royal West Kent Regiment

The doctor is the Australian father of Lieutenant Sydney Kingston Gore (KIA 1914), taken in 1931 at the doctor's home in Folkestone

Edith is the mother of Lieutenant Sydney Kingston Gore (KIA 1914), taken at Folkestone in the 1930s. She was the daughter of Henry Tompkins & Charlotte Mary Malpas of London

The 200 foot Chalk Cross carved in the scarp slope of the North Downs of Kent which overlooks the Domesday village of LENHAM in West Kent. It was cut in 1922 in memory of the fallen of the Great War and especially of the men of Sidney's regiment, the Royal West Kents. Sydney's 6xGreat Grandfather was born in Lenham in 1641.

His name SK GORE is inscribed on the Great War memorial board at his old school.

Lieut Sydney Gore was based here with his regiment, 1st Battalion Royal West Kents. From here the Battalion sailed to Le Havre in France on 15th August 1914, only 11 days after war was declared. He was killed in action two months later, on 28th October at Neuve Chapelle (See his “Stories)

Irish Observer: “The son of a doctor who was born in Australia, 2/Lieut Gore was stationed with the West Kents in Dublin before the outbreak of World War I. He was a fine sportsman having also played cricket for the British Army. The Irish Independent reports that Lieut Gore had an excellent game for the Army in the 1913/14 Herald Hospitals Cup match scoring two first half goals with ‘some brilliant footwork’ and captaining the Army XI to a rare 4:1 victory over the Irish team.” A few months later he lay dead in France. He was the last English winner of this famous trophy which is still competed for in Ireland

Window of All Souls Church, Cheriton, Folkestone, "in loving memory of Lieut Sydney Kingstone Gore, 1st Bn Royal West Kent Regt, who fell in action at Neuve Chapelle Oct 28th 1914". "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends".

Report by the IRISH OBSERVER on a football match played in Ireland in the 1913-14 season between local international Irish players and that part of the British Army based in Ireland, most of whom were then amateur internationals. The Army team, captained by 2nd Lieut Sydney Gore (also a well-known Army cricketer), won 4-1. Gore received the famous trophy awarded to the winning captain in this long-standing charity match for the benefit of Dublin Hospitals which is still played annually in Ireland. Sadly Gore is the last Englishman to win the trophy after events in Dublin in 1916 and the Anglo-Irish political schism that followed. He was killed fighting the Germans in France just a few months after this match.