Story:
Stanley Smith was born in Alcester, Shaftesbury, on 29th July, 1891 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 23rd August, 1891. He was the son of Harry Smith, a house painter, and Harriett Smith. At the time of the 1911 Census, he was working as a house painter and living at Hawkesdene, Cann, Shaftesbury. He enlisted in Shaftesbury in the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 1184) later joining the 1st/4th Battalion (new Service No. 200161) and at the time of his death held the rank of Temporary Sergeant. He served in Mesopotamia and was awarded the Victory, British War, 1915 Star and the Territorial Force War medals. He died on 28th September 1917 and was buried at Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Waziriah Area, Baghdad, Iraq (grave id. IX.D.4). The cemetery was begun in April 1917 and contains the graves of many of the dead brought in from other temporary burial grounds. He is remembered on the Cann War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

Story:
Sidney William Gibbs was born in 1893 in Shaftesbury and was baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 23rd May, 1893. He was the son of John Gibbs, a baker, and Mary Gibbs (née Tudball). Sidney's father died in 1894 and was buried at Holy Trinity on 16th February. His mother Mary remarried on 6th April 1896, to John Webber at Seaborough, Beaminster, Dorset and they set up home there along with Sidney. By the time of the 1911 Census Sidney had moved to The Street, Crewkerne, Somerset, where he was living with his sister Mabel and brother-in-law, William Edwards. William was a Hairdresser, Tobacconist and Confectioner and Sidney was assisting in the Hairdressing business.

Sidney enlisted in Kingston-on-Thames as a Private in the 4th Dragoon Guards (Royal Irish) attached to the Household Cavalry of the Line (Service No. 7842). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and 15 Star medals. He died of wounds on 8th January 1916 and was buried at Bethune Town Cemetery, near Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France (grave id. III.D.34). He is remembered on the Holy Trinity War Memorial, now in St. Peter's Church, Shaftesbury.

Sidney's stepfather John Webber also died in 1916 and his mother Mary was shown on the War Graves Commission Memoriam as living at 440 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth. She died in Bournemouth in 1930.

Story:
Alfred Parsons was born on 29 Aug 1873 in Shaftesbury, Dorset, and baptised at St. James Church, Shaftesbury, on 19th October, 1873. He was the son of George Pmarsons, a railway carman, and Emily Parsons (née Wright). His siblings included Charles, born in 1882, and Sidney George, born in 1890, both of whom died in the war. The family lived at Long Cross, Enmore Green, Shaftesbury. On 26th March, 1894 he married Emily Kate Gray. They had five children: three sons and two daughters. At the time of the 1911 Census, he was working as a coal carter and living at 78 St. James Street, Shaftesbury. He enlisted in Dorchester on 24th August, 1914, as a Private in the 2nd Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 3/7475) he later transferred to the 1st HS Garrison Battalion of the Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment (Service No. 34574). He served on home duties in view of his age at Portland, Dorset. On 5th April, 1917 he had a heart attack whilst on guard duty and went through a process of assessment for future military duty. He was assessed as unfit for further duty on 25th April, 1917 and eventually discharged on 22nd June 1917. He was awarded the Victory and British War medals.  (No record of the Silver War Badge was found). He regrettably died in early September 1917, and was buried in St. James' Churchyard on 14 Sep 1917, but this is not recorded as a war grave by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. He is remembered on the Park Walk and St. James’ War Memorials and on the Roll of Honour in St. James’ Church, Shaftesbury. His widow  was awarded initially a pension of 27s. 6d. (£1.37p.) per week and, by 1920, was living in Kempston, Bedfordshire, and died there in 1940.  His widow was awarded a pension initially of 27s. 6d (£1.37p.) per week.

Story:
David Herbert (Bertram) Robins was born in 1894 in Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire. He was the son of Rev. Samuel Robins, a Minister of the Gospel (Unitarian), and Eliza Frances Robins (nee Waters). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as a grocer's assistant and living at Hindon Road, East Tisbury, Wiltshire, where his father was now described as a 'cycle repairer'. The family later moved to Sunny Bank, Shillingstone. He enlisted on 5th September, 1914 in Dorchester and joined the 5th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 10585) and at the time of his death held the rank of Lance Corporal. He served in Gallipoli and was awarded the Victory, British War and 15 Star medals. He was presumed killed in action on 21st August 1915 whilst with No. 8 Platoon on Chocolate Hill near Suvla Bay and his name appears on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey (Panel 137-140). He is remembered as "Bertram Robins" on the Park Walk War Memorial and on the Holy Trinity Memorial, now in St. Peter's Church,, Shaftesbury. At some time he worked for the firm of Stratton, Son & Mead in Shaftesbury and is remembered on their Roll of Honour as well as on the War Memorial in the churchyard of Holy Rood Church, Shillingstone.  His father was in receipt of his effects whilst his mother received a pension of 5s. (25p.) per week.