Lucius George Gibbs

Story:
Lucius George Gibbs was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 3 Jun 1882 and baptised at St. James Church on 2 Jul 1882 the son of Edwin George Gibbs and Mary Gibbs (nee Matthews).  He lived most of his early life at Blynefield Farm, Cann, Shaftesbury, Dorset.  By 1901 he was boarding in Yeovil, Somerset, whilst employed as an Apprentice Mechanical Engineer.  He volunteered for the Territorial Force of the Dorsetshire Regiment on 14 Dec 1896 (Service No. 22) and attended the regular annual training camps thereafter.  By the time of the outbreak of WW1 he held the rank of Sergeant.  He was embodied on 4 Aug 1914 and on 26 Sep 1914 was promoted to Lance Sergeant. He served for a period in India where, in due time, he was again promoted to Lance Colour Sergeant and served with the 1/4th Battalion.  He returned to the UK on 18 Nov 1915 and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant with the 13th (Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.  He was discharged on 8 May 1919 whilst holding the rank of Acting Captain.  He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the 1914/15 Star.  He had married Marjorie Mary Burnell at the Parish Church, Gillingham, Dorset, on 25 Jan 1916.  He became the Gillingham, Dorset, Relieving Officer and Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths.  The 1921 Census shows him living at High Bridge Mill, East Stour, Dorset. Regrettably his wife died in 1932 and by the 1939 Register he was living at Butts Knap, Cann, Shaftesbury, Dorset.  He died in Shaftesbury on 31 Aug 1949 and was buried at St. Rumbolds Church, Cann, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 3 Sep 1949.   His sister, Ada Prudence, had served with the Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment as a Nurse during the war and his brothers, Alwin Thomas Gibbs, Walter Matthews Gibbs DCM, and Claude Victor Gibbs, served in the conflict, Claude had been a Prisoner of War for some of the time.