Goudhurst has begun its series of tributes to 69 villagers who died in the First World War.

The aim is to project an image of each fallen servicemen on the side of The Vine pub in High Street on the 100th anniversary of their deaths. The first was of Oliver Frank Page, who died on October 28, 1914.

On Tuesday, villagers gathered at the newly renovated village war memorial for a ceremony led by Tony Richards, chairman of the Goudhurst branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL), and Peter Rollington, one of the organisers behind the commemorations.

In the audience was 93-year-old Fred Page, the nephew of ‘Ollie’ Page. The RBL standard was lowered as a bugler sounded the Last Post, and there was then a two-minute silence.

Private Page, of Church Road, Goudhurst, served with the 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). He was killed by a German sniper at Bois-Grenier, near Armentières, aged 24.

In fact, Goudhurst’s first casualty was Frederick Percival Tester, of Stoney Lane, who was a driver with the Royal Horse Artillery. He died, aged 21, on October 8, 1914, from wounds sustained at Néry, on the retreat from Mons.

Sadly there is no known image of Pte Tester to project.

Tonight, the village is due to hold its second projection; this time of Pte William George Burgess, of the 3rd Dragoon Guards. He lived at Summerhill in Goudhurst, and was missing in action at Zandvoorde, near Ypres, aged 31.