Grosser Kurfürst Memorial

As you drive past Cheriton Cemetery in Folkestone you will see a flash of gold even from the road side. I made a point of pulling over and taking a look. The gold is the lettering on a spectacular memorial to the 284 German sailors whomdied when the Grosser Kurfürst collided with the flagship König Wilhelm in the channel on 31 May 1878.

Due to local fishermen rescuing sailors from this disaster many people believed that Germany was holding back from bombing the area during WW1 despite the area being of military importance and proximity to Shorncliffe Camp It is reported that there was a sense of disbelief on 25th May 1917 when an air raid took place. unfortunately many people were out on the streets and a single bomb impacted Tontine Street killing seventy-nine people and a further eighteen military personnel in a second hit at Shorncliffe Camp.

Further reading here