Lionel George Churchill

Story:
Lionel George Churchill was born in 1882 in Gillingham, Dorset. He was the son of Mark Churchill and Elizabeth Churchill (née Lush). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single and working as a shop assistant in Eastgate Street, Gloucester. He enlisted in Gloucester and joined the 1/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars (Yeomanry) (Service No. 2215) and at the time of his death held the rank of Corporal. He was posted to Egypt on 20 Apr 1915 and was in action at Gallipoli where he was wounded and presumably taken on board the troopship Ausonia for treatment but regrettably died on 24th August 1915 and, again presumably, buried at sea as his name appears on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey (Panel 18) and there is no known grave. He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the 1915 Star. He is also remembered on the Semley War Memorial in St. Leonard's churchyard, the Roll of Honour inside the church and on the Gillingham, Dorset, War Memorial. His name was included on the Baptist Chapel plaque, now also in the church. His parents were by then living in Semley, Wiltshire.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission citation states that Lionel had also served in the South African War, spending five years with the Cape Mounted Rifles.