Harriet Fread (1859 – 1940)

Harriet Fread was born on 7 February 1859 and was the wife of C Fread. She was injured during the bombing of the Royal Oak in Wrotham Heath on 15 October 1940 and died the same day at the Preston Hall Emergency Hospital in Aylesford. In the attack Harriet was working in the kitchen preparing sandwiches when a bomb crashed through the roof and exploded. Harriet, who usually lived in Hastings, was staying with her daughter and son-in-law Jack Swift, who was the licensee of the pub.