William Pike

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.