Stories Archive - Page 142 of 164 - Shaftesbury Remembers the Great War

Walter James Harris

Surname: Harris

Other names: Walter James

Locations in this story:
Farnham, Dorset
France & Flanders
Arras Memorial, France
Blandford

Story:
Walter James Harris was born in 1898 in Farnham, Dorset, and baptised there on 8th January, 1899. He was the son of Charles Harris, a Farm Labourer, and Edith Emily Harris (née Hiscock). His siblings included Francis George Hatrris, (b.1897) who also died in the war and Reginald Henry Charles Harris (b. 1895) who served and survived. At the time of the 1911 Census Walter was single, a scholar and living in the family home at Farnham, Blandford, Dorset. He enlisted in Blandford as a Private and joined the 6th Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment (Service No. 36872). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. He went missing and was presumed killed in action on 22nd March 1918 and his name appears on the Arras Memorial in France (Bay 7). He is remembered on the Farnham War Memorial in St. Lawrence's Church. His death and that of his brother Francis are also commemorated in the churchyard on the headstone of grandparents Francis Rogers Hiscock and Emily Hiscock.

Images:

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Francis George Harris
My Family's Story by Mark Wareham

Ernest Victor Hayter

Surname: Hayter

Other names: Ernest Victor

Locations in this story:
Berwick St. John, Wiltshire
Taranto, Italy
Taranto Town Military Extension, Taranto, Puglia, Italy
Farnham, Blandford, Dorset

Story:
Ernest Victor Hayter was born in 1897 in Berwick St. John, Wiltshire. He was the son of Charles Hayter, a Domestic Gardener, and Martha Hayter (née Harris). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single and living at Farnham, Blandford, Dorset. He enlisted as a Private in the 2nd Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 16807). He served in Italy and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. He died on 1st February 1919 and was buried at Taranto Town Military Extension, Taranto, Puglia, Italy (grave id. I.G.3). (Taranto was a base camp and there were military hospitals in the vicinity which remained until 1919 when Ernest was there.) He is remembered on the Farnham War Memorial in St. Lawrence's Church. His brother, Albert Henry Hayter, also served but survived the conflict.

Images:

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives

William Read

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

Surname: Read

Other names: William

Locations in this story:
Farnham, Dorset
France & Flanders
Loos Memorial, France
Tollard Royal, Dorset
Blandford

Story:
William Read was born in 1898 in Tollard Royal, Dorset. He was the son of William John Read, a woodman, and Sarah Maria Read (née Harrison). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, a scholar and living in the family home at Farnham, Blandford, Dorset. He enlisted in Blandford as a Private with the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards (Service No. 971). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He died on 27th September 1915 and has no known grave. His name appears on the Loos Memorial in France (Panel 10) and on the Farnham War Memorial in St. Lawrence's Church.

Images:

Links to related web content / sources:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives

James Weeks

21st June 2017/in 1914-1918 Royal Field Artillery /by Ann Symons

Surname: Weeks

Other names: James

Locations in this story:
Sixpenny Handley, Dorset
France & Flanders
St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France
Farnham, Blandford, Dorset
Bournemouth
Rouen, France

Story:
James Weeks was born in 1897 in Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, and baptised there on 15th April, 1898. He was the son of Edward Jesse Weeks, a Game Keeper, and Sarah Ann Weeks (nee Avery). His siblings included Sidney, born in 1887, who also died in the war whereas Edward Jesse Weeks served and survived. At the time of the 1911 Census, he was single, working as a Farm Labourer and living at Farnham, Blandford, Dorset. He enlisted in Bournemouth as a Driver with the Territorial Force of the Royal Field Artillery (Service No. 645269). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. At the time of his death he was serving with the RFA (3rd Army Reinforcements) and died of an unspecified illness in Rouen on 26th June 1918 and was buried at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France (grave id. Q.II.C.11). He is remembered on the Farnham War Memorial in St. Lawrence's Church.

Images:

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives

Sidney Weeks

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

Surname: Weeks

Other names: Sidney

Locations in this story:
Farnham, Dorset
France & Flanders
Arras Memorial, France
Dean, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset
Gussage St. Andrew, Dorset
Grantham, Lincolnshire
Blandford

Story:
Sidney Weeks was born in 1887 in Dean, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, and baptised at Gussage St Andrew, Dorset, on 1st January, 1888. He was the son of Edward Jesse Weeks, a Game Keeper, and Sarah Ann Weeks (nee Avery). His siblings included James, born in 1897, who also died in the war whereas Edward Jesse Weeks served and survived. At the time of the 1911 Census Sidney was single, working as a Farm Labourer and living at Farnham, Blandford, Dorset. He married Sybil Gwendoline May Frampton in Grantham, Lincolnshire, on 1st March, 1915 but their child, Arthur Leslie Weeks, was born in 1914 and baptised at Gussage St. Andrew on 14th June, 1914. Sidney enlisted in Blandford as a Private with the 2nd Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment (Service No. 29665). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He died on 24th April 1917 and his name appears on the Arras Memorial in France (Bay 7). He is remembered on the Farnham War Memorial. His wife re-married a Roy Robert Pearce in 1918.

Images:

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives

Oakley John Whitmarsh

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

Surname: Whitmarsh

Other names: Oakley John

Locations in this story:
Farnham, Dorset
Gallipoli, Turkey
Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey
Dardanelles
Bere Regis, Dorset

Story:
Oakley John Whitmarsh was born on 17 Jul 1891 in Farnham, Dorset. He was the son of William George Coombes Whitmarsh, a Farmer, and Emily Jane Whitmarsh (nee Conway). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, he was working as a Farm Labourer and boarding out at Bere Regis, Dorset. His family remained in Farnham, Dorset. He enlisted on 1st September, 1914 as a Private with the 5th Service Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 10576). He was posted to join the Middle East Expeditionary Force in the Dardanelles on 1 Jul 1915 where he was recorded as wounded at Gallipoli on 25 Aug 1915 and finally officially missing on 12 Dec 1915. His presumed date of death was finally given as 21st August, 1915. He was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. His name appears on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey (Panel 136 to 139) as well as the Farnham War Memorial.

Images:

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives

Reginald James Wilkins

21st June 2017/in 1914-1918 Leicestershire Regiment, Machine Gun Corps /by Ann Symons

Surname: Wilkins

Other names: Reginald James

Locations in this story:
Farnham, Dorset
France & Flanders
Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France
Blandford

Story:
Reginald James Wilkins was born in 1899 in Farnham, Dorset. He was the son of George Frank Wilkins, a Baker & Grocer, and Constance Catherine Emma Wilkins (nee Smith). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, a scholar and living in the family home at Farnham, Blandford, Dorset. His mother died on 4th July 1915. He enlisted in Blandford as a Private in the 6th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment (Service No. 42975) and later transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (Service No. 20588). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. He died on 22nd October 1918 and his name appears on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial in France (Panel 5). He is remembered on the Farnham War Memorial. His brother, Charles Frank Wilkins, also served and survived.

Images:

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives

Edwin Woolfries

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

Surname: Woolfries

Other names: Edwin

Locations in this story:
Farnham, Dorset
Gallipoli, Turkey
Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey
Blandford
Stourpaine, Dorset

Story:
Edwin Woolfries was born in 1898 in Farnham, Dorset, and baptised at Stourpaine, Dorset, on 30th May, 1898. He was the son of Francis Woolfries, a Blacksmith, and Elizabeth Ann Cole Woolfries (née Jeans). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, a scholar and living in the family home at Farnham, Blandford, Dorset. He enlisted in Blandford as a Private with the 5th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 11095). He served at Gallipoli and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He died on 21st August 1915 and his name appears on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey (Panel 136 to 139). He is remembered on the Farnham War Memorial. Edwin had three brothers who also served in the war, but survived: Harry (b.1891) with the Royal Field Artillery, Arthur Eldred (b.1892) who served with a number of different regiments and Charles (b.1885) who served with the Dorset (Queen's Own) Yeomanry.

Images:

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Arthur Eldred Woolfries
Harry Woolfries

Percy George Barnes

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

Surname: Barnes

Other names: Percy George

Locations in this story:
Fontmell Magna, Dorset
Arras, France
Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, France
West Street, Fontmell Magna, Dorset
France
Gillingham, Dorset
Twyford, Dorset

Story:
Percy George Barnes was born in 1892 in Twyford, Dorset. He was the son of George Joseph Barnes, (known a Joseph), an Estate Labourer, and Emily Ann Barnes (née Tuffin). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as a Barman and living at 54 West Street, Fontmell Magna.

He enlisted in Gillingham, Dorset, on 8th September 1914. He joined the 6th Service Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 10851) and was posted to the home depot where he rose rapidly from Private to Sergeant in the space of a few months. On the 12th February, 1917, he transferred to the Labour Corps (Service No. 54595) and was posted to France on 8th March, 1917, where he eventually joined the 169th Company of the Labour Corps with yet another Service No. 100803. His death on 31st July 1917 was caused by an accident which happened a few days before, on the 27th July 1917, when he was thrown off his cycle by a runaway horse and received injuries from which he did not recover. It was later stated at the inquiry that Sergeant Barnes was in no way to blame for the accident. He was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He died at the 19th Casualty Clearing Station in Arras on 31st July 1917 and was buried at Duisans British War Cemetery, Etrun, France (grave id. V.A.52). He is remembered on the Fontmell Magna War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

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

Images:

Links to related web content / sources:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives

Bertie John Bradley

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

Surname: Bradley

Other names: Bertie John

Locations in this story:
Kit Hill, Near Guy's Marsh, Shaftesbury
France
Calais Southern Cemetery, Nord Pas de Calais, France
Lurmer Street, Fontmell Magna, Dorset
St. James's Church, Shaftesbury
Kensal Rise, London
Shepherds Bush, Middlesex
British General Hospital, Calais, France

Story:
Bertie John Bradley was born in 1895 at Kit Hill, Near Guy's Marsh, Shaftesbury and baptised at St. James's Church, Shaftesbury on 19th May, 1895.. He was the son of Albert Bradley, a horseman on a farm, and Fanny Elizabeth Bradley (née Sharpe). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as a Milk Carrier and living at 21 Lurmer Street, Fontmell Magna. Between then and his enlistment, he had moved to Kensal Rise, London, where he was employed as a milk carrier. He enlisted at Shepherds Bush, Middlesex, on the 6th July, 1915, as a Private in the 17th Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment (Service No. F/561). He served in France and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He was wounded in action on 30th January, 1916, and died of his wounds at the British General Hospital, Calais, France, on 27th February, 1916. He was buried at Calais Southern Cemetery, Nord Pas de Calais, France (grave id. Plot B. Row 3. Grave 17). At the time of his death his parents were living at 21 Lurmer Street and he is remembered on the Fontmell Magna War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

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

Images:

Links to related web content / sources:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives