Story:
John Hall was born in 1884 in Spetisbury, Dorset, and baptised there on 11th May, 1884. He was the son of Daniel Hall, a Farm Carter, and Mary Hall (née Dennis). On 7th October, 1905 he married Emily Harris at Sixpenny Handley. They had two children, both boys. John's mother died in 1907 and his father in 1910. At the time of the 1911 Census, John was working as a Farm Labourer and living at Dean End, Woodcutts, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset with his wife and two children. He enlisted in Wimborne, Dorset, on 2nd February, 1915 and joined the 1st Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 12893) and at the time of his death held the rank of Lance Corporal. He served in Salonika as well as France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. On 21st April 1918 he died at the 6th General Hospital, Rouen, France, from the effects of gunshot wounds and of an earlier episode of gassing. He was buried at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France (grave id. P.VII.A.6A). He is remembered on the Sixpenny Handley War Memorial.

John's widow Emily did not remarry and was living with her sons in Handley at the time of the 1939 Register.    

Story:
Edwin Hobbs was born in 1896 in Stroud, East Meon, Petersfield, Hampshire, and baptised at Langrish, Southampton, on 15th February, 1896. He was the son of Henry Hobbs, a Farm Labourer, and Emma Hobbs (née Gilbert). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as a Farm Carter and living with his parents at Minchington, Farnham, Dorset. He enlisted in Blandford on 31st August, 1914, as a Private in the 5th (Service) Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 10312) and served solely in the United Kingdom. He died of pneumonia at his parents' home in Farnham on 30th Apr 1915 and was buried in the north west part of St. Mary's Churchyard, Sixpenny Handley. He is remembered on the Sixpenny Handley War Memorial. His parents received the Death Scroll but no medals were evidently issued.

Story:
Albert Charles Conway was born in 1889 in Farnham, Dorset, and baptised at Farnham Church on 5th May, 1889. He was the son of Frederick Charles Conway, a labourer, and Annie Conway (née Whitlock). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, a Regular Soldier with the 2nd Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 7833) and stationed in India/Ceylon. His parents at the time moved to 29, Melbury Abbas, Dorset. During the war he served in Mesopotamia and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He died on 14th April 1915 and was buried at Basra War Cemetery, Basra, Iraq (grave id. III.C.10). He is remembered on the Melbury Abbas War Memorial.

Albert's brothers William Frederick (b.1890) and Harry Edward (b.1892) also served in the war, but survived the conflict.

Story:
Reginald Claude Eldon Webb was born in 1898 in East Orchard, Dorset. He was the son of George Webb, a schoolmaster, and Edith Tryphena Webb (née Jones). (NB As Edith Jones she had married James Harding who died in 1895. She remarried under the name Harding in 1896.) Known as 'Claude' in the family, they lived at Farnham, Blandford, Dorset. At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, a scholar and living at School House, East Orchard, Shaftesbury, Dorset. He enlisted in Weymouth, Dorset, as a Private in the 1st Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 15564). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. At the time of his death on 3rd Sep 1916 he had been attached to the Wiltshire Regiment when he was presumed killed in action. His name appears on the Loos Memorial (Dud Corner Cemetery), Loos-en-Gohelle, Pas de Calais, France (grave id. Panel 76). He is remembered on the memorial window in St. Thomas's Church, East Orchard.

Claude's half brothers Alfred John (b.1895) and Charles Frederick Ratcliffe (b.1890) also served in the war.