Story:
James Aylmer Lowthorpe Haldane was born in Gleneagles, Scotland, on 17 November 1862 the son of Dr. Daniel Rutherford Haldane and Charlotte Elizabeth Haldane (nee Lowthorpe). He had attended military college and was commissioned in the Gordon Highlanders on 8 April, 1892. He served in various countries in the world and by the 1st World War had, for a short time, become involved with the parish life in St.James, Shaftesbury, Dorset, as he is mentioned in the serving soldiers list provided by the church. He served in France & Flanders as well as latterly in Mesopotamia until his retirement in 1923 with the rank of Brigadier-General. He then settled in Paddington, London, where he died on 19 April 1950 and was interred in Brookwood Cemetery, Brookwood, Surrey. (The fuller story and his awards is available on line).

Story:
Sidney James Jesse (usually known only as 'James') was born in Wakefield, West Riding, Yorkshire, on 30 June 1885 the son of Elizabeth Jesse (a suggested father was William Jesse, but no record can be found). By the 1891 Census he was living with his uncle in the Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, area. He had enlisted with the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment (Service No. 5933) and, by the 1911 Census, was serving with the 1st Battalion in the Orange Free State, South Africa, at the School of Musketry with the then rank of Company Quartermaster Sergeant (WO1). He later served with the unit in France and Flanders from 14 August 1914 and later transferred to the Machine Gun Corps as Company Sergeant Major (New Service No. 18055). During this time he had been awarded both the Distinguished Service Medal and the Military Cross. He was later to received the Victory and British War Medals as well as the 1914/15 Star. He had married Maggie Lucas at the Chapel of St. John, Bemerton, Wiltshire, on 29 November 1915 and whilst by 1921 he had remained in the army serving in Co. Cork, Ireland, at the Belbyman Camp his wife lived with her parents in Deansland, Sixpenny Handley. He was later discharged and by the 1939 Register was living in West Woodyates, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, working as an Estate Handyman as well as serving in the Observer Corps. He died on 15 April 1956 and was buried at Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, on 18 April 1956.

Story:
Harry George Bailey was born in Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, on 20 February 1898, and baptised at the Salisbury Primitive Methodist Chapel, Salisbury, Wiltshire, on 22 March 1898, the son of George Bailey and Constance Bailey (Nee Dimmer). He lived all his life apart from military service in Sixpenny Handley. He had enlisted with the Dorsetshire Regiment as a Private (Service Nos. 0485 & 25753). It is not known in which theatre of war he served but on his discharge was awarded the Victory and British War Medals. He had returned to Sixpenny Handley by the time of the 1921 Census and was employed as a Bus Conductor. He married Ellen Margaret Bowditch at the Fisherton Street Independent Chapel, Salisbury, Wiltshire, on 30 May 1928. By the time of the 1939 Register he was living at 5 Council Houses, Sixpenny Handley, now described as a Bus Driver. He died in Sixpenny Handley on 19 September, 1981. His brother, Herbert James Bailey, also served and survived the conflict.

Story:
William John Adams was born on 24 July 1897 in Deanland, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, and baptised at the Wilton Primitive Methodist Church, Wilton, Wiltshire, on 20 September 1897 the son of John Edward Adams and Fanny Maria Adams (nee Read). He lived much of his life in the Deanland area but on reaching the age of 18 years he enlisted with the Dorsetshire Regiment as a Private (Service Nos. 0527 & 29210) and was awarded the Victory and British War Medals. By the time of the 1921 Census he was still in the army with the 2nd Battalion and stationed at the Baird Barracks, Bangalore, Madras, India. On his discharge he had eventually married Hilda Day at Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, on 30 June 1923. The 1939 Register shows he was then living at Woodcutts, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, working as a Cowman. His death was recorded in Salisbury, Wiltshire, during 1988.

Story:
Charles Reginald Howard was born in Tottenham, London, on 11 October 1875 the son of Robert Luke Howard and Henrietta Maria Howard (nee Fox). He lived and worked in various places in England in his early days and had qualified and served for a time as a surgeon at Guys Hospital, London. He later went to Zanzibar as a Government Bacteriologist and whilst there enlisted with the Dorset (Queen's Own) Yeomanry serving in the Boer War in South Africa where he was awarded the South Africa Medal with five bars. He married Hilda Margaret Moore in London on 27 February, 1906. At the outbreak of WW1 he enlisted with the Royal Army Medical Corps with the rank of Lieutenant and served in France and Flanders from 23 September 1914 in charge of the 1st Motor Red Cross Ambulance being Mentioned in Dispatches on two occasions. Following some bad health he returned to duty and was selected for service in German East Africa (Nyasaland) attached to the King's African Rifles. Whilst there he had been promoted to Captain (Acting Lieutenant Colonel). He was in action on 6 September 1918 when he was shot dying immediately. He was accorded full military honours and buried at Chinde, Mozambique. He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the 1914/15 Star along with an earlier OBE. This brief summary is given to denote the fact that a brass plate in his memory is in the Parish Church at Ashmore, Shaftesbury, Dorset, and is the only known association with the area.