Story:
Victor Stokes was born in Hartgrove, Shaftesbury, Dorset, registered in the 1st quarter of 1900, the son of Harry Stokes and Augusta Farmer Stokes (née Gatehouse), a local family.  Victor lived for the first few years of his life at Hartgrove but, by 1905, had moved with his family to Milton on Stour, Gillingham, Dorset.  He enlisted with the 8th Battalion of the Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment as a Private (Service No. 45981).  He served in France & Flanders where, according to the Dependant's Pension Record Form, he was accidentally killed on 5th September 1918 along with at least two other fellow members of the Regiment.  He was buried in the Mericourt-L'Abbe Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France, (Grave Ref: III. H. 15.) and is remembered on the Gillingham War Memorial.   He was awarded the Victory and British War medals.  His family received a pension payment for some years after the event certainly up until 1934 when Victor's mother died in 1934.

Story:
Frank Jesse was born in 1899 in Fontmell Magna, Dorset, and baptised there on 21st May, 1899. He was the son of William Jesse, a Miller & Farmer, and Kate Rose Jesse (née Jeanes). Unfortunately his mother passed away on 26th March, 1899 possibly following Frank's birth. His father died in 1905. At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, was a scholar and living with his brother, Reginald, at Gulliver's Farm, East Orchard, Dorset.  His brother Charles also went on to serve in the war, with the City of London Regiment and Royal Engineers also brother, Percy William, served with the the New Zealand Forces .

Frank attended Shaftesbury Grammar School between April 1912 and July 1913. He enlisted in Sturminster Newton as a Private and joined the 2nd Battalion of Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment (Service No. 44857). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. His death was 'officially accepted' as being 27th May 1918 as his remains were not recovered.  He is remembered on the Soissons Memorial, Aisne, Picardie, France as well as on the Fontmell Magna War Memorial and the Shaftesbury Grammar School Memorial now in the hall at Shaftesbury School. (Originally his name was missed off the Fontmell Magna Memorial and had be hurriedly added at a later date).

His name was also included on a hand written list of Shaftesbury Grammar School old boys serving during the war. An asterix can be seen next to Frank's name, indicating that he had died. The board is now at Gold Hill Museum.

Printed Sources:
"Fontmell Magna and the First World War", compiled by Chris Bellers, Fontmell Magna Village Archive Society, 2014.
Shaftesbury Grammar School Magazine, March 1919.

Story:
William Thomas Fricker was born in 1889 in East Knoyle. He was the son of James Fricker, a Gardener, and Annie Fricker (née Read). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as a Farm Labourer and living at Milton, East Knoyle, Wiltshire. He enlisted in Devizes, Wiltshire, as a Private in the 5th Battalion of Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment (Service No. 23678). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. He was missing and presumed killed in action on 19th October 1916 and his name appears on the Thiepval Memorial (Pier & Face 11 D.). He is remembered on the East Knoyle War Memorial.   His brother, Alfred Henry Fricker, also served in the conflict and survived.