Royal Tank Corps Archives - Shaftesbury Remembers the Great War

John Cox

Surname: Cox

Other names: John

Locations in this story:
Tanyard Lane, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Bangalore, India
Transvaal, South Africa
France & Flanders
Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Tisbury, Wiltshire
Salisbury Street, Shaftesbury

Story:
John Cox was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, in 1876, the son of Isaac Cox and Sarah Cox (née Lilly). He lived his early life in Tanyard Lane, Shaftesbury. He enlisted on 9th October 1899 and joined the Corps of Hussars as a Private (Service Nos. 4216 & 47445). He served in Bangalore, India and Transvaal, South Africa where he was awarded a total of six campaign medals and various clasps. He married Lottie Camelia Wright in the Tisbury, Wiltshire, Registration District in 1904. During the First World War he served in France & Flanders where, in due time, he was promoted to Corporal and transferred to the Royal Tank Corps (Service No. A/N 536301). At the time of the Absent Voters List of 1918 he gave his address as 16 Salisbury Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset. He was eventually discharged with a pension on 21st March 1922 and was awarded the Victory and British War medals as well as the 1914/15 Star. It is noted that his medals were forwarded in 1923 to 62 Frampton Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, and he died in Gloucester during 1931.

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The National Archives

Leonard Coombs

10th February 2020/in 1914-1918 Hussars, Royal Tank Corps /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Coombs

Other names: Leonard

Locations in this story:
Tollard Royal, Wiltshire
Donhead St. Mary, Wiltshire
France & Flanders
Ashmore, Shaftesbury, Dorset

Story:
Leonard Coombs was born in Tollard Royal, Wiltshire, on 15th August 1899, the son of John Langhorn Coombs and Amelia Coombs. He lived most of his life, apart from Military Service, in Tollard Royal. He did not enlist due to his age until 22nd May 1918 and joined the Hussars of the Line (Service No. H/69428). He was with the 5th Reserve Cavalry Regiment. On 1st September 1918 he transferred to the Tank Corps (Service No. 311925). Initially he was at the School of Gunnery but was sent to France on 28th October 1918 within days of the Armistice. He was discharged on 19th February 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War medals. The 1921 Census shows him living in Tollard Royal working on his own account as a Mail Contractor. He married Louise Taylor on 18th April 1927 in Ashmore, Shaftesbury, Dorset. There are no records of children of the marriage. By the 1939 Register he was living at 28 Tollard Royal, Wiltshire, working as a Corn, Dairy and Poultry Farmer as well volunteering as an ARP Warden. He died at the early age of 43 years on 10th October 1942 in Tollard Royal.

Two of Leonard's brothers also served in the war: John Langhorn (b.1894) who was awarded the Military Medal while serving with the Middlesex Regiment and Reginald James (b.1895) who served with the Royal Field Artillery.

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The National Archives
Reginald James Coombs
John Langhorn Coombs

Charlie Dibben

19th November 2019/in 1914-1918 Hussars, Royal Tank Corps /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Dibben

Other names: Charlie

Locations in this story:
Twyford, Compton Abbas, Nr. Shaftesbury, Dorset
France & Flanders
Wokingham, Berkshire
Horders Farm, French Mill Lane, Melbury Abbas, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Coppice Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset

Story:
Charlie (sometimes known as Charles) Dibben was born in Twyford, Compton Abbas, Nr. Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 8th January 1899, the son of Alfred Dibben and Sarah Ann Dibben (née Rideout). At the time of the 1911 Census the family was living at 45 Twyford, Compton Abbas. He enlisted on 6th January 1917 but was not embodied until 22nd May 1918 when he joined the 25th Cavalry Reserve Battalion of the Hussars (Service No. H/69362). On 22nd May 1918 he was transferred to the 7th Battalion of the Tank Corps as a Private (Service No. 311932). He served in France from 28 Oct 1918 and was eventually discharged on 24th February 1919. He was awarded the Victory and British War medals.

The 1921 Census shows him living with his parents a Horders Farm, Melbury Abbas, Shaftesbury, where he was assisiting his father on the farm. He married Gladys J. Rideout in Wokingham, Berkshire in during 1928 and there was thought to have been one child of the marriage. The 1939 Register shows him still living at Horders Farm, French Mill Lane, Melbury Abbas, Shaftesbury, Dorset, described as a Dairy Farmer. He died in the North Dorset Registration District on 20th July 1986 whilst living at 13 Coppice Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset. Of his brothers, Frank Dibben was killed in action and Claude Dibben served but survived.

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Frank Dibben
Claude Dibben
The National Archives

Montague Smith

21st October 2019/in 1914-1918 Lancers, Machine Gun Corps, Royal Tank Corps /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Smith

Other names: Montague

Locations in this story:
Shaftesbury, Dorset
Streatham, Surrey
Drayton Park, Willesden, Middlesex
Brent, Middlesex
France & Flanders
Holy Trinity Church, Shaftesbury
Mustons Lane, Shaftesbury
South Africa
Paddington, London

Story:
Montague Smith was born on 6th July 1889 in Shaftesbury, Dorset, and baptised on 28th July 1889 at Holy Trinity Church, the son of Harry and Mary Smith. He lived his early life at 7 Mustons Lane, Shaftesbury, one of eleven children in the family. He enlisted on 15th July 1907 and joined the 9th Lancers of Cavalry of the Line (Service No. 246) and later the 21st Lancers and served in South Africa. He was discharged to reserves on 14th July 1914 only to be almost immediately embodied on 15th August 1914 as a Shoeing Smith Corporal (Service No. 41347). He transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry) and joined the 2nd Machine Gun Squadron of the Royal Tank Corps on 27th June 1916 and served in France. He was discharged on 14 Jul 1919 having completed the terms of his engagement. He was awarded the Victory and British War medals as well as the 1914/15 Star. He had married Eva Annie Wooders at St. Anselem Church, Streatham, Surrey, on 9th August 1917. One child is recorded. By the 1921 Census he was living at 11 Tavistock Crescest, Paddington, London, working as a Store Labourer. But by the 1939 Register he had moved to 86a Drayton Park, Willesden, Middlesex, working as a Bus Conductor. He died on 21st November 1966 in the Brent, Middlesex, Registry area.

Montague's brother Harry Sidney (b.1869) also had a career in the army, with the Somerset Light Infantry.

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Harry Sidney Smith