George Jesse

Story:
George Jesse was born in Melbury Abbas, Shaftesbury, Dorset on 9th September 1889 and baptised there on 27 Oct 1889 the son of Richard John Jesse and Mary Ann Jesse (nee Frampton). His early life was spent in the Hartgrove, Shaftesbury, area. He had enlisted on 8th June 1908 as a Territorial and joined the 2/1st Battalion of the Dorset (Queens Own) Yeomanry (Service Nos. 294 &1208) with attendance at annual camps.  He had been promoted to Corporal until the outbreak of WW1 when he reverted to Private.  Throughout this time he was farming at Blackven Farm, Fontmell Magna. He was mobilized on 4 Aug 1914 and on 21st May 1915 transferred to the 3rd Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 19532). He served in France from 21 May 1915 where he was severely gassed on 10 May 1917 and was repatriated to the UK.  On recovery he transferred on 9 Feb 1918 to the 609th Agricultural Company of the Labour Corps (Service No. 528403). He was demobilized on 5th March 1919 and was awarded the Victory and British War medals as well as the 1915 Star. He was also awarded a small pension due to the earlier gassing.  He had married Ida Mary Dibben at Buckland Newton, Dorset, on 26th April 1915 and they went on to have three children. The 1921 Census Shows him living at Lushes Farm, Manston, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, working as a Farmer. His last known address was 2 Manor Dairy, Blandford, Dorset, where he was now employed as a Dairy Manager. He died in 1972 (Registered at Worthing, Sussex). Source: Based on previous research by Ken Baxter.