During the Great War a port was established at the mouth of the Stour and Sandwich became a centre of military activity with thousands of men encamped in the district. The Minister of the church at that time was the Rev. Dr. George Thomas and as honorary chaplain he worked tirelessly among the troops. The records speak of open-air services on the shore for upwards of 1,500 men in addition to the many other duties he undertook for them such as writing to families, visiting hospitals and conducting marriage and funeral services. Tributes afterwards spoke of ‘splendid work’ and ‘a great ministry’.

In the Second World War, however, coastal towns like Sandwich were largely evacuated and churches found their numbers greatly reduced and their resources diminished. Some had to close. This church survived but in the conditions prevailing in the post-war years it could no longer stand on its own.