Stories Archive - Page 51 of 162 - Shaftesbury Remembers the Great War

Stanley Martin

Surname: Martin

Other names: Stanley

Locations in this story:
Stour Provost, Dorset
Shaftesbury, Dorset
Dorchester, Dorset
Portsmouth, Hampshire
Sheerness, Kent
Gillingham, Kent

Story:
Stanley Martin was born in Stour Provost, Dorset, on 14th November 1879 and baptised there on 5th December 1879. The birth was registered at Shaftesbury, Dorset. He was the son of George Martin and Charlotte Martin (née Barnes). He lived most of his early life at 7 Stour Lane, Stour Provost, until by 1901 he had moved to Dorchester, Dorset, where he was employed as a fitter and turner. He enlisted for 12 years and joined the Royal Navy initially as a Acting Electician (Service No. 345056). He married Alice Julia Matilda Tilley at Portsmouth, Hampshire, Register Office on 29th November 1902.

He was due for discharge after his 12 years but was, by then holding the rank of Chief Electrical Artificer Class 2, posted to the Dreadnought Battleship HMS Bulwark in early 1914 thus remaining in the service. He had shortly after been awarded a bonus for inventing a combination lamp holder that would be used thereafter in the Royal Navy. On the 26th November, 1914, whilst moored up off Sheerness, Kent, there was an explosion in the vessel's boiler room and the ship sunk with all but 12 hands lost. Various estimates of those lost vary from 733 men to 741 men. The body of Stanley was not recovered and he is now remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Portsmouth, Hampshire (Panel 5) and also on the local War Memorial at Gillingham, Kent. His name is also mentioned on plaques inside St. Michaels Church, Stour Provost, and the All Saints Church war memorial, now in the Stour Row Village Hall. He was awarded the Victory and British War medals as well as the 1914 Star. His wife went on to re-marry Charles Nithsdale on 3rd June 1915.

Source: Photographs of the Portsmouth Naval Memorial taken by Richard Lunn.

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The National Archives
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Tom Samuel Lampard

6th January 2021/in 1914-1918 /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Lampard

Other names: Tom Samuel

Locations in this story:
East Knoyle, Wiltshire
Bruton, Somerset
Romsey, Hampshire
Heligoland, off Dutch Coast
Portsmouth, Hampshire

Story:
Tom Samuel Lampard was born in East Knoyle, Wiltshire, on 24 Jul 1893 the son of William Thomas Lampard and Mary Jane Lampard (nee Beal). He spent his life prior to Military Service in East Knoyle, then Bruton, Somerset and finally, according to the 1911 Census, as an Assistant Dairyman living at Lee Cottages, Nr. Romsey, Hampshire. His mother died in 1913. He had enlisted in the Royal Navy on 22 Oct 1911 and was given the rank of Stoker Class 2. He served in a number of ships rising to the rank of Stoker Class 1 when, on 22 Sep 1914 onboard HMS Cressy in the North Sea near Heligoland off the Dutch coast, the ship was struck by a torpedo fired from German submarine U-9 and the ship sank. Many of the crew were saved by local fishing boats that were nearby but quite a number of them, including the Captain and Tom, were killed and their bodies not recovered. His name was officially recorded on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Portsmouth, Hampshire, (Panel 4). He is also recorded in the De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour. He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the 1914 Star. The WGC site note that his father was living at 'Rose Cottage', The Green, East Knoyle, Wiltshire. Tom's brother, Henry James Lampard, was also killed whilst serving in the Army.

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Charles Ernest Miles

5th January 2021/in 1914-1918 /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Miles

Other names: Charles Ernest

Locations in this story:
Enmore Green, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Taunton, Somerset
Yeovil, Somerset
France & Flanders
Germany

Story:
Charles Ernest Miles was born in Enmore Green, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 19 Jun 1886 and baptised there at St. John's Church on 22 Aug 1886 the son of Edwin Miles and Lucy Jane Miles (nee Meade). He spent all his early life with his parents at Nettlebed Nursery, Enmore Green, Shaftesbury. By 1911 he had moved to Taunton, Somerset, where he was boarding out and working as a Motor Mechanic. He enlisted on 18 Nov 1914 with the Royal Engineers as a Private (Service No. 1582). He married Mabel Theodora Victoria Warry at the Parish Church in Yeovil, Somerset, on 26 Dec 1914 prior to his posting. He was posted to France and Flanders and served there with the 8th Signal Company (Service No. 500134) and was also promoted to Corporal. Following the Armistice he was posted to the 6th Signal Company with the Rhine Signal Battalion in Germany. He was eventually discharged on 28 May 1920 and awarded the Victory and British War Medals. The 1921 Census shows him living at 3 Earle Street, Yeovil, Somerset, working as a Motor Engineer. By the time of the 1939 Register he had moved to 14 Salisbury Terrace, Yeovil, Somerset, working as an Aircraft Parts Inspector (previously a Motor Mechanic in a Garage). His death was recorded in Yeovil in 1951. Charles's brothers, Harold Edwin Miles and Arthur Douglas Miles, also served in the conflict.

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William Pike

5th January 2021/in 1914-1918 /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Pike

Other names: William

Locations in this story:
Stour Row, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Stour Provost, Dorset
France & Flanders,
Somme, France,
Gallipoli, Turkey
Gillingham, Dorset

Story:
William Pike was born in Stour Row, Shaftesbury, Dorset, in 1893 and baptised at Stour Provost, Dorset, on 15 Apr 1893 the son of Emily Matilda Pike. (There was no fathers name entered in the baptismal record.). William lived most of his life in the Stour Row/Stour Provost area until his Military Service. His mother married Harry Rake in 1903. William had enlisted on 7 Sep 1914 and joined the 5th Service Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment as a Private (Service No. 11043). He was wounded at Gallipoli, Turkey, on 4 Dec 1915 and had to be repatriated back to the UK on a hospital Ship on 22 Jan 1916. Following his recovery he was promoted to Corporal (Acting Lance Sergeant) and joined the 1st Battalion in France and Flanders on 12 Apr 1916. He received wounds again in the Somme, France, area on 1 Jul 1916 and subsequently died on 4 Jul 1916. There is however no grave reference and he is merely remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, (Addenda Panel 1.) and also on the Gillingham, Dorset, War Memorial, where his mother was then living. He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the 1914/15 Star.

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William James Ridout

3rd January 2021/in 1914-1918 /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Ridout

Other names: William James

Locations in this story:
Stour Row, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Stour Provost, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Balham, London
Upper Norwood, Surrey
Croydon, Surrey

Story:
William James Ridout was born in Stour Row, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 3 Jan 1878 and baptised at Stour Provost, Dorset, on 27 Mar 1878 the son of Charles Ridout, a Farmer, and Hannah Sarah Ridout (nee Stone). He lived his early life with his family at Tile House Farm, Stour Row, until by 1908, when he married Margaret Florence Eyles in Hackney, London, on 19 Aug 1908. By 1911 he was living in Balham. London, working as a Drapers Assistant. He enlisted on 11 Dec 1915 but was not mobilized until 2 Sep 1916 when he joined the 2/1 Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment as a Private (Service No. 265708). He was transferred to the 6th (Cyclists) Battalion of his regiment (Service No. 2821) and later to the Army Pay Corps on 28 Nov 1918 (Service No. 24403). He was at this time promoted to Corporal. He was discharged on 24 Apr 1920 but no medal records can be found. Both the 1021 Census and 1939 Register shows he was living at 49 Spa Hill, Upper Norwood, Surrey, working as a Linen Drapers Assistant for Harrods Stores Ltd. His death was recorded at the Croydon, Surrey, Registry in 1969.

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Arthur Street

2nd January 2021/in 1914-1918 /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Street

Other names: Arthur

Locations in this story:
Sherborne Causeway, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Enmore Green, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Wincanton, Somerset
Bruton, Wincanton, Somerset
France & Flanders
Italy

Story:
Arthur Street was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 24 Nov 1883 the son of Charles Street and Ellen Street (nee Lilly). He lived most of his early life at Sherborne Causeway, Shaftesbury, Dorset. He married Ellen Selina Burr (nee Jenkins), a widow, in Enmore Green, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 22 Mar 1908. He was then working as a Coal Merchant. His wife, Ellen, died in 1913. He enlisted in Shaftesbury on 10 Dec 1915 but was not embodied until 26 Sep 1917 when he joined the Royal Garrison Artillery as a Gunner (Service No. 182667). He was posted to France and Flanders where he served on an anti-aircraft battery before being sent to Italy for a short while. He was eventually discharged on 18 Jan 1920 and awarded the Victory and British War Medals. His home address was given as 1 The Square, Bruton, Somerset. He remarried Louise Alice Hooper in Wincanton, Somerset, in 1925. Both the 1921 Census and 1939 Register shows he was living at 93/95 High Street, Bruton, Wincanton, Somerset, described as a General Dealer in Metal. His death was recorded in Bruton on 10 Oct 1946.

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Stuart Marler Edmund Leighton Boyce

1st January 2021/in 1914-1918 /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Boyce

Other names: Stuart Marler Edmund Leighton

Locations in this story:
Donhead St. Mary, Wiltshire
Lambeth, London
Streatham, London
Finsbury, London
Taunton, Somerset
Dulwich, London
Hammersmith, London

Story:
Stuart Marler Edmund Leighton Boyce was born in Donhead St. Mary, Wiltshire, on 24 Nov 1885 the son of Edmund Biddulph Leighton Boyce and Mary Jane Burridge Boyce (nee Sharp). He lived the first few years of his life in Donhead, St. Mary, until his father died in February 1890. His mother remarried Charles Marler on 9 Sep 1890 and they moved to Lambeth, London. Stuart married Mai Annie Kent Grace at St. Leonards Church, Streatham, London, on 9 Sep 1916. He had enlisted on 26 Nov 1915 but was not mobilized until 26 Sep 1916 and joined the Royal Fusiliers (Service No. G/43033) as a Private. During his service he remained in the UK but had suffered considerable general debility due to bronchial problems. He was also transferred three times to various units namely Army Service Corps (Service No. 9148), 109th Training Reserve Battalion (Service No. TR/13/77876) and the 2nd/1st Cyclists Company of the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry (Service No. 44018). He was however discharged as being unfit for further duty on 26 Oct 1917. There are no known medal records. The 1921 Census shows him living at 22 Phoenix Lodge Mansions, Brook Green, Hammersmith, London, described as a Public Servant and Senior Cashier for the Metropolitan Water Board. By the time of the 1939 Register his address was given as the Metropolitan Water Company, Rosebery Avenue, Finsbury, London, where he was now Clerk in the Comptrollers Office. His wife was living at Dulwich, London. His death was recorded at the Taunton, Somerset, Registry in 1959.

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Stanley Thomas Bastable

1st January 2021/in 1914-1918 /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Bastable

Other names: Stanley Thomas

Locations in this story:
East Orchard, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Gillingham, Dorset
Milton, Kent
France & Flanders
Broseley, Shropshire
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
India

Story:
Stanley Thomas Bastable was born in East Orchard, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 30 Jan 1892 the son of William Thomas Bastable and Louisa Martha Bastable (nee Marcham). He spent his very early life in Marsh Common, East Orchard, and later in Gillingham, Dorset. His father died in May 1901 and his mother re-married Walter Crump in 1903 and went to live in Milton, Kent. Stanley enlisted with the King's (Shropshire) Light Infantry as a Boy Soldier (Bugler) on 20 Feb 1906 (Service No. 8100). He served in India and progressed to Bandsman on 31 Oct 1913 with the rank of Corporal with the 2nd Battalion. Though he suffered from some bronchial troubles he was nevertheless posted to France & Flanders on 20 Dec 1914 but was transferred back to the UK on 24 Feb 1915 suffering from tuberculosis which had been exacerbated by the conditions of his service. He was discharged on 14 Apr 1916 as being no longer physically fit for service and was awarded a pension. He lived initially at the time at 1 Smithfield Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, but later was admitted to the Sturlett Sanatorium, Broseley, Shropshire, where he died on 6 Sep 1916. He was buried on 9 Sep 1916 in Shrewsbury General Cemetery, Shrewsbury, (Grave Ref: 187. 8. H.). He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the 1915 Star and the Silver War Badge No. 504179. His stepfather, Walter Crump, had predeceased him in 1906 and his mother, Louisa, in 1908.

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Douglas Genge

1st January 2021/in 1914-1918 /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Genge

Other names: Douglas

Locations in this story:
Cann, Shaftesbury, Dorset
France & Flanders
Ypres, West Flanders, Belgium

Story:
Douglas Genge was born in Cann, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 7 Nov 1892 but was not baptised at St. Rumbold's Church, Cann, until 26 Dec 1897 the son of Walter Genge and Mary Genge (nee Antell). He lived all his life prior to Military Service at Hawksdene Farm, Cann, Shaftesbury. He became a Drapers Assistant. His father had died in 1909 and his mother in 1914. He enlisted and joined the 1/1st Squadron of the Hampshire Yeomanry (Carabiniers) as a Private (Service No. 100125). He was posted to France and Flanders and transferred to the 15th (Service) Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment )the Hampshire Yeomanry) (Service No. 205016). He was killed in action near Ypres, West Flanders, Belgium, on 4 Sep 1918 and ultimately buried in the Voormezeele Cemetery No. 3, Ypres, West Flanders, Belgium, (Grave Ref: XVI. J. 18.). His gravestone bears the words 'Until The Day Breaks'. He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals. There is no known local memorial to him though he would have qualified to be on the Cann Memorial.

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Horace Genge Bloom

31st December 2020/in 1914-1918 /by Chris Stupples

Surname: Bloom

Other names: Horace Genge

Locations in this story:
Bristol
Easton, Gloucestershire
Shaftesbury, Dorset
Toronto, Canada
York, Ontario

Story:
Horace Genge Bloom was born in Bristol on 20 Dec 1893 and baptised at St. Marks Church, Easton, Gloucestershire, on 14 Jan 1896 the son of Henry George Bloom and Mary Susanna Bloom (nee Genge). He lived his early life in Bristol until by 1911 he was a Pupil boarder at Shaftesbury Grammar School, Shaftesbury, Dorset. His father had died about 1913 and Horace had emigrated to Toronto, Canada, along with his mother to live at 903 Bathurst Road, Toronto, working as a Clerk. He had enlisted on 22 Dec 1915 with the 75th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a Private (Service No. 140636). He was posted to the UK arriving on 4 May 1916 where he worked in the record office of his Battalion. He suffered various bouts of abdominal problems resulting in him being invalided back to Canada on 29 Dec 1917 where he was eventually discharged on 1 Apr 1918 as being unfit for further duty. There are no obvious medal records in this case. The 1921 Canadian Census shows him living at 28 Rushholme Park Crescent, Toronto, described as a Traveller. He married Hazel Anastasia Rolland in York, Ontario, Canada, on 11 Aug 1924. His last known address was then 99 Delaware Road, Toronto. No other records have been discovered since.

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