Victor Coward

Story:
Victor Coward was born in Motcombe, Dorset, on 12 Sep 1897 and baptised there on 7 Oct 1897 the son of James Coward and Mary Jane Coward (nee Miles).  He spent his early life at The Street,  Motcombe.  He enlisted with the 1/4th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment as a Private (Service Nos. 3080 & 201287).   It is not known in which theatre of war he served but on his discharge on 1 Jul 1919 he was granted a limited pension due to contracting malaria during his service.  He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.  At the 1921 Census he was living with his parents in Motcombe noted as 'single'.   He later moved for work at the Naval Cordite Factory, Holton Heath, Dorset and set up home at 'Charlton', Jubilee Road, Upper Parkstone, Poole, Dorset.  His death was recorded in Wareham, Dorset, in 1927 following an explosion at the factory at the age of 30 years.  He was buried at St. Mary's Church, Motcombe.  (An apparent marriage to Louisa Mabel Squires on 2 May 1920 does not appear to fit the facts as currently known.) Victor's brothers Charles Edwin (b.1892) and Harold (b.1893) also served with the Dorsets during the war. Sadly Harold died in Mesopotamia in 1917.