FOMA Launches Major New Historical Index to Commemorate the Outbreak of World War One

The Friends of Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre (FOMA) is delighted to announce today the launch of the De Caville Index at www.foma-lsc.org.

The Index consists of over 4,000 names of men killed in World War One taken from memorials all over the Medway Towns, including men born in the area, those stationed there during hostilities and the Live Bait Squadron. The index contains unique information never before included in any other database, including name, dates of birth and death, rank, record number, address, burial place, and many photographs; entries are even cross-referenced to indicate family relationships. In addition there is a facility on the website for relatives and researchers to add information in order to build up a unique picture of the men who fought one hundred years ago.

The Index was started some twenty-five years ago by FOMA member and historian Michael de Caville (1946-2010) who had served in the army, the Middlesex Regiment, for a period in Northern Ireland. His experiences left him with empathy for those who had given their lives in the service of their country. Before his premature death in 2010, Tessa Towner, the Chairman of the FOMA, promised Mick that the group would finish his work and publish in 2014 an index to his research. In honour of this promise FOMA members have worked tirelessly, visiting war memorials in every nook and cranny of the Medway Towns in places such as schools, churches, factories, village halls, and clubs; a solitary name was even found at the National Westminster Bank in Rochester High Street.

The Index is free to view and is also mobile friendly, and was designed together with the new-look FOMA website by archaeologist and FOMA member Alex Thomas.