Stories Archive - Page 139 of 162 - Shaftesbury Remembers the Great War

William John Toomer

Surname: Toomer

Other names: William John

Locations in this story:
Twyford, Shaftesbury, Dorset
France & Flanders
Thiepval Memorial, France
West Street, Fontmell Magna, Dorset
Gallipoli, Turkey.
Alexandria, Egypt.
Blandford, Dorset

Story:
William John Toomer was born in 1894 in Twyford, Shaftesbury. He was the son of Charles Toomer, a Bricklayer's Labourer, and Ellen Louisa Toomer (nee Rideout). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as a farm labourer and living at 61 West Street, Fontmell Magna. He enlisted in Blandford on 7th September, 1914 and joined the 5th Service Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 11094) and at the time of his death held the rank of Lance Corporal. His first posting was to Gallipoli, Turkey, where he received a wound to the right hand on 24th August, 1915, and was admitted to the 24th Casualty Clearing Station. Following his recovery and further service in the area he embarked from Alexandria, Egypt, for France, arriving there on 9th July, 1916 and was posted into the field on 26th September, 1916. It was on that very day he was reported missing and presumed killed. He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. His name appears on the Thiepval Memorial in France (Pier and Face 7 B). He is remembered on the Fontmell Magna War Memorial, near Shaftesbury.

Printed Sources: "Fontmell Magna and the First World War", compiled by Chris Bellers, Fontmell Magna Village Archive Society, 2014.

Images:

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives

Robert Ashby

Surname: Ashby

Other names: Robert

Locations in this story:
France & Flanders
Norfolk Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt, France
Elliston, Leicestershire
Iwerne Minster, Dorset
Becourt, Somme, France
Market Bosworth, Leicestershire
Child Okeford, Dorset

Story:
Robert Ashby was born in 1879 in Childe Okeford and baptised there on 25th May 1879. He was the son of George Ashby, a groom, and Katherine Ashby (née Bucklar). Though his parents lived in Iwerne Minster, Robert spent much of his life living in Market Bosworth (where his mother had been born). He found employment there as a coal miner. On 12 June 1905 he married Mary Jane Smith at the Baptist Chapel in Market Bosworth. They had three children from the marriage. At the time of the 1911 Census, he was working as a coal miner and living at Elliston, Leicestershire. His mother was living in Iwerne Minster.

He enlisted in London as a Sapper (Tunneller) with the 178th Company, Royal Engineers (Service No. 102813). He served in France and Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. On 23rd Sept, 1915 he was slightly gassed and, after treatment, returned to duty only to be killed on 21st December 1915 at Becourt, Somme, France. He was buried at the Norfolk Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt, Somme, France (grave id. I.C.22). He is remembered on the Iwerne Minster War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

His wife received a widow's pension of £1.02p per week for herself and the three children. She continued to live in Elliston, according to the 1939 Register. Robert's brother George Frederick (b.1888) also served in the war, with the Royal Field Artillery.

Images:

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George Frederick Ashby

Frederick George Bridle

21st June 2017/in 1914-1918 Wiltshire Regiment /by Ann Symons

Surname: Bridle

Other names: Frederick George

Locations in this story:
Blandford Forum, Dorset
France & Flanders
Inchy Communal Cemetery Extension, Inchy-Beaumont, Cambrai, Nord, France
Tarrant Crawford, Blandford, Dorset
Inchy Hospital, France
Iwerne Minster, Dorset
Sturminster Newton, Dorset

Story:
Frederick George Bridle was born in 1899 in Tarrant Crawford, Blandford and baptised there on 8th Oct 1899. He was the son of George William Bridle, a carter on a farm, and Bessie Bridle (née Joyce). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, a scholar and living at Tarrant Crawford, Blandford, Dorset. He enlisted in Sturminster Newton as a Private in the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment (Service No. 36132). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. He died from wounds on 24th October 1918 at Inchy Hospital in France and was buried at Inchy Communal Cemetery Extension, Inchy-Beaumont, Cambrai, Nord, France (grave id. B. 43). He is remembered on the Iwerne Minster War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

Images:

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Harold Vernon Browne

21st June 2017/in 1914-1918 Dorset Yeomanry /by Ann Symons

Surname: Browne

Other names: Harold Vernon

Locations in this story:
Port Gawler, South Australia
Gallipoli, Turkey
Hill 10 Cemetery, Turkey
Hoburne, Hampshire
Suvla Bay, Turkey
Iwerne Minster, Dorset
St. Mary's Church, Iwerne Minster
Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire

Story:
Harold Vernon Browne was born on 25th August, 1885 in Buckland Park, Port Gawler, South Australia. He was the son of Leonard Gilbert Browne, described as living by his "own means", and Helen Mary Browne (née Price). The family moved to England in 1891 and by 1901 Harold was a boarder at Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire. On 24th June, 1908 he married Mabel Doris Tillard, eventually moving to Iwerne Minster. They had four children: three boys and a girl. At the time of the 1911 Census, he was also living by his "own means", at Hoburne, Hampshire. He joined the Dorset (Queen's Own) Yeomanry in 1908. He became a Lieutenant in October 1913 and Captain in July 1915 - which rank he held at the time of his death. He served at Gallipoli and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. On 7th September 1915 he was killed by a shell whilst discharging his duties as Military Landing Officer on "A" Beach, Suvla Bay. He was buried at the nearby Hill 10 Cemetery, Turkey (grave id. II.B.12) and is remembered on the Iwerne Minster War Memorial, Shaftesbury and on a stone pillar in front of the pulpit of St. Mary's Church, Iwerne Minster. He is also mentioned on the De-Ruvigny's Roll of Honour and on the Wellington College Roll of Honour. His wife went on to re-marry Thomas Hartley Carlisle in Shaftesbury in 1922.

Images:

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Reginald Eli James Clark

21st June 2017/in 1914-1918 Dorsetshire Regiment /by Ann Symons

Surname: Clark

Other names: Reginald Eli James

Locations in this story:
Shaftesbury
Gallipoli, Turkey
Helles Memorial, Turkey
Tower Hill, Iwerne Minster, Dorset
Suvla Bay, Turkey
Blandford, Dorset

Story:
Reginald Eli James Clark was born in 1889 in Iwerne Minster and baptised there on 7th April 1889. He was the son of James Clark, a mason, and Sarah Anne Clark (née Burt). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as a bricklayer and living at Tower Hill, Iwerne Minster, Dorset. He enlisted at Blandford on 17th August 1914 as a Private in the 5th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 9859). He served at Gallipoli and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He went missing at Suvla Bay on 21st August 1915 but he was not officially declared dead until 10th October 1915. His name appears on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey (Panel 136 to 139). He is remembered on the Iwerne Minster War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

Reginald's brother Maurice Frederick (b.1893) also served with the Dorsetshire Regiment during the war, but survived.

Images:

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Maurice Frederick Clark

Francis Frederick George (Frank) Crabbe

21st June 2017/in 1914-1918 Dorsetshire Regiment /by Ann Symons

Surname: Crabb

Other names: Francis Frederick George (Frank)

Locations in this story:
Beaminster, Dorset
France & Flanders
Cement House Cemetery, Langemark, West Flanders, Belgium
Shute Lane, Iwerne Minster, Dorset
Langemarke, Belgium

Story:
Francis Frederick George (Frank) Crabb was born in 1895 in Beaminster. (N.B. Early records give his family name as Crabbe but the 'e' was dropped by 1911). For most of his life he was known as Frank, including military records. He was the son of George Crabb, an agricultural labourer, and Ellen Elizabeth Crabb (née Gale). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single and living at Shute Lane, Iwerne Minster, Dorset. He enlisted in Blandford as a Private in the 6th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 16349). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. He was killed in action on 19th November 1917 at Langemark, Belgium and was buried at Cement House Cemetery, Langemark, West Flanders, Belgium, (grave id. V.B.16). He is remembered on the Iwerne Minster War Memorial, Shaftesbury. His brother, Sidney Herbert Crabbe, also served but survived the conflict. Both the brothers are named on a Roll of Honour published privately in Iwerne Minster.

Images:

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William Henry Fisher

21st June 2017/in 1914-1918 Wiltshire Regiment /by Ann Symons

Surname: Fisher

Other names: William Henry

Locations in this story:
Shaftesbury
Mesopotamia
Amara War Cemetery, Iraq
The Brickyard, Iwerne Minster, Dorset
Devizes, Wiltshire

Story:
William Henry Fisher was born in 1893 in Iwerne Minster and baptised there on 5th November 1893. He was the son of Henry Fisher, a brick maker, and Sarah Fisher (née Baker). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as a groom and living at The Brickyard, Iwerne Minster, Dorset. He enlisted in Devizes, Wiltshire as a Private in the 5th Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment (Service No. 9318). He served in Mesopotamia and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He died from fever on 9th August 1916 and was buried at the Amara War Cemetery, Iraq (grave id. IX.B.5). He is remembered on the Iwerne Minster War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

William's brother Cecil George (b.1986) also served in the war, with the Labour Corps.

Images:

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Cecil George Fisher

Albert George Alner

21st June 2017/in 1914-1918 Dorsetshire Regiment /by Ann Symons

Surname: Alner

Other names: Albert George

Locations in this story:
Farnham, Dorset
France & Flanders
Quarry Cemetery, Montauban, Midi-Pyrenees, France
Tollard Royal, Dorset
Blandford

Story:
Albert George Alner was born in 1887 in Tollard Royal, Dorset. He was the son of George Albert Alner, a gardener, and Bessie (or Betsy) Alner (née Conway). His siblings included Walter Mark, born in 1893, who also died in the war. At the time of the 1911 Census Albert was single, working as a shepherd and living at Farnham, Blandford, Dorset. He enlisted in Blandford as a Private with the 6th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 16878). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. He was killed in action on 6th August 1916 and was buried at Quarry Cemetery, Montauban, Midi-Pyrenees, France (grave id. VI.J.6). He is remembered on the Farnham War Memorial in St. Lawrence's Church.

Images:

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Walter Mark Alner

Walter Mark Alner

21st June 2017/in 1914-1918 Dorsetshire Regiment /by Ann Symons

Surname: Alner

Other names: Walter Mark

Locations in this story:
Farnham, Dorset
Mesopotamia
Amara War Cemetery, Amara, Iraq
Tollard Royal, Dorset
Blandford

Story:
Walter Mark Alner was born in 1893 in Tollard Royal, Dorset. He was the son of George Albert Alner, a gardener, and Bessie (or Betsy) Alner née Conway. His siblings included Albert George, born in 1887, who also died in the war. At the time of the 1911 Census Walter was single, working as a Farm Carter and living at Farnham, Blandford, Dorset. He enlisted in Blandford as a Private and joined the 2nd Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 10791). He served in Mesopotamia and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. He died on 24th August 1916 and was buried at Amara War Cemetery, Amara, Iraq (grave id. IX.B.19). He is remembered on the Farnham War Memorial in St. Lawrence's Church.

Images:

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Albert George Alner

Edward Henry Davidge

21st June 2017/in 1914-1918 Welsh Guards /by Ann Symons

Surname: Davidge

Other names: Edward Henry

Locations in this story:
Chettle, Dorset
France & Flanders
Lillers Communal Cemetery, Lillers, Pas de Calais, France
Farnham, Dorset
Blandford

Story:
Edward Henry Davidge was born in 1899 in Chettle, Dorset. He was the son of Harry Charles Davidge, a Domestic Groom, and Ellen Ann Davidge (née Foster). His siblings included Herbert Charles, born in 1891, who also died in the war. At the time of the 1911 Census Edward was single, a scholar and living in the family home at Farnham, Blandford, Dorset. He enlisted in Blandford as a Private and joined the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards (Service No. 970). (N.B. His christian names are reversed in the military records.) He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He died of wounds on 7th Ocober 1915 and was buried at Lillers Communal Cemetery, Lillers, Pas de Calais, France (grave id. IV.C.10). He is remembered on the Farnham War Memorial in St. Lawrence's Church.

Images:

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Herbert Charles Davidge