Compton Abbas 1

Harold Joseph Garland

Surname: Garland
Other names: Harold Joseph
Other people in this story:
George Garland
Caroline Garland née Baker
Locations in this story:
Compton Abbas, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Parkstone, Dorset
France & Flanders
Pernes British Cemetery, Pernes-en-Artoir, Pas de Calais, France

Story:
Harold Joseph Garland was born at Compton Abbas, Shaftesbury, Dorset, in 1899, the son of George Garland and Caroline Garland (née Baker), a local family.  He lived his early childhood in Compton Abbas until, by 1911, his family had moved to Parkstone, Dorset.   Harold enlisted with the Norfolk Regiment (Service No. 37331) and later, at the time of his death, was a Private with the 2nd Battalion of the Essex Regiment (Service No. 42717).  He was serving in France and Flanders when he died of his wounds on 22nd April 1918 when only 18 years old.   He was buried in the Pernes British Cemetery, Pernes-en-Artoir, Pas de Calais, France, (Grave Ref: I.D.10). He was awarded the Victory and British War medals.

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The National Archives
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Church Walk, Melbury Abbas

Harold George Oxford

Surname: Oxford
Other names: Harold George
Other people in this story:
Fred Oxford
Elizabeth Jane Oxford née Lovell
Alice Margaret Oxford née Wayman
Locations in this story:
Melbury Abbas, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Shirley, Southampton, Hampshire
Fordingbridge, Hampshire
Gallipoli, Turkey
Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey

Story:
Harold George Oxford was born in Melbury Abbas, Shaftesbury, Dorset, in 1881 and baptised there on 5th June 1881, the son of Fred Oxford and Elizabeth Jane Oxford (née Lovell), a local family.   He lived his early childhood in Melbury Abbas but, by 1901, had moved to Shirley, Southampton, Hampshire, where his father had employment in the Docks.   Harold married Alice Margaret Wayman in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in the Apr/Jun Quarter of 1915.  He had enlisted with the 10th Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment as a Private (Service No. 10307).  He served at Gallipoli and was presumed killed in action on 10th August 1915 within weeks of his marriage.  He is remembered on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey, and on the church screen at St. Mary the Virgin in Fordingbridge. He was awarded the Victory and British War medals as well as the 1915 Star.

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The National Archives
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fontmell Magna Church

Gilbert James Jesse

Surname: Jesse
Other names: Gilbert James
Other people in this story:
William Sidney Jesse
Ada Jesse née Rideout
Joseph Isaac Jesse
Locations in this story:
Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Barkestone, Leicestershire
France & Flanders
Etaples Military Cemetery, Etaples, Pas-de-Calais, France
Bournemouth, Hampshire
Lyndhurst, Hampshire

Story:
Gilbert James Jesse was born in Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, Dorset, in 1888 and baptised there on 19th November 1888, the son of William Sidney Jesse and Ada Jesse (née Rideout), a local family.  Gilbert spent his childhood in Fontmell Magna until, by 1901, the family had moved to Barkestone, Leicestershire.  Following his father's death in 1910 his mother moved to Lyndhurst, Hampshire. 

Gilbert enlisted and joined the 14th (Service) Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment as a Private (Service No. 22998).  He served in France and Flanders and died at the 30th General Hospital, France, on 27th June 1917.  He was at the time Acting Lance Corporal.   He was buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery, Etaples, Pas-de-Calais, France, (Grave Ref: XXII.L.7A).   He was awarded the Victory and British War medals.  His brother, Joseph Isaac Jesse, who had been living in Bournemouth, Hampshire, but was serving in the Royal Field Artillery, was eventually granted probate of Gilbert's estate.

Images:

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Joseph Isaac Jesse
3E3D52FE-B70A-4D5C-8153-4FE3C725A90E

James Phillips

Surname: Phillips
Other names: James
Other people in this story:
Edward Phiilips
Edith Phillips née White
Albert Charles Phillips
Frank Phillips
Frederick William Phillips
Locations in this story:
The Barton, Enmore Green, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Tisbury, Wiltshire
France & Flanders
Le Touret, Pas de Calais, France
Arundell Arms, Tisbury

Story:
James Phillips was born in Enmore Green, Shaftesbury, Dorset, in 1886 and baptised at St. John's Church, Enmore Green, on 29th August 1886, the son of Edward Phillips and Edith Phillips (née White), a local family.  James spent his early years in The Barton, Enmore Green, until, by 1901, the family had move to Tisbury, Wiltshire.  In 1911 James was working as a Servant (Boots) in the Arundell Arms, Tisbury.  He enlisted and joined the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment as a Private (Service No. 6403).   He served in the very early weeks of the conflict in France and Flanders and was killed in action on 21st October 1914.  He is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial, Le Touret, Pas de Calais, France, (Panel 33 & 34.) and also on the Tisbury War Memorial.   He was awarded the Victory and British War medals as well as the 1914 Star.

Three of James' brothers served in the First World War: Albert Charles (b.1877) with the Dorsetshire Regiment and South Wales Borderers; Frank (b.1885) with the Wiltshire Regiment and the Royal Field Artillery; Frederick William (b.1875) with the Dorsetshire Regiment.

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Albert Charles Phillips
Frank Phillips
Frederick William Phillips
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Stour Row Memorial

Edward Tom Ralph

Surname: Ralph
Other names: Edward Tom
Other people in this story:
James Ralph
Eva Ralph née Pike
Walter Lynn Ralph
Ivor Harry Ralph
Locations in this story:
Charlton, Donhead St. Mary, Wiltshire
Stour Provost, Dorset
Gallipoli, Turkey
Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey
St. Michael's Church, Stour Provost

Story:
Edward Tom Ralph was born in Charlton, Donhead St. Mary, Wiltshire, in 1892 and baptised at St. John the Baptist Church, Charlton, on 13th March 1892 the son of James Ralph and Eva Ralph (née Pike), a local family.  He spent  his early years in Charlton but, by 1901, the family had moved to Stour Provost, Dorset.  Edward enlisted with the Dorset (Queen's Own) Yeomanry Battalion of the Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line as a Private (Service No. 481).  He served at Gallipoli where he was killed in action on 21st August 1915.  He is remembered on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey, (Panel 18). He was awarded the Victory and British War medals as well as the 1915 Star.

"Tom Ralph" is remembered on a memorial plaque in St. Michael's Church, Stour Provost, and on the All Saints Church war memorial, now in the Stour Row Village Hall, along with his brother Walter Lynn Ralph, who also died in the war.  Brother, Ivor Harry Ralph, served and survived.

Images:
  • Stour Row Memorial 2

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Walter Lynn Ralph
Holy Trinity Church, Shaftesbury 1

Harold Francis Cosser

Surname: Cosser
Other names: Harold Francis
Other people in this story:
George Cosser
Anna Louisa Cosser née Hopkins
Locations in this story:
Donhead St. Mary, Wiltshire
Shaftesbury, Dorset
Mesopotamia
Basra, Iraq
Trowbridge, Wiltshire

Story:
Harold Francis Cosser was born in Donhead St. Mary, Wiltshire, on 30th November 1894 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 24th January 1895, the son of George Cosser and Anna Louisa Cosser (née Hopkins), a local family. Harold spent his early years in Donhead St. Mary until, by 1911, he was boarding in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, and working as an apprentice ironmonger.  He enlisted with the 1st/4th Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment as a Private (Service No. 1191).  He was later attached to the 2nd Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 200122).  He served in Mesopotamia and died in Turkish hands whilst a prisoner on 22nd May 1917 and is remembered on the Basra Memorial, Basra, Iraq, (Panel 22 & 63).   He was awarded the Victory and British War medals as well as the 1915 Star.

Images:

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Tollard Royal Church

Frederick James Staples

Surname: Staples
Other names: Frederick James
Other people in this story:
Bennett George Staples
Annie Kate Staples née Horlock
Locations in this story:
Tollard Royal, Wiltshire
France & Flanders
Hainaut, Belgium

Story:
Frederick James Staples was born in Tollard Royal, Wiltshire, in 1897, the son of Bennett George Staples and Annie Kate Staples (née Horlock), a local family.   Frederick lived all his life in and around Tollard Royal. He enlisted and joined the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment as a Private (Service No. 202416).  He served in France & Flanders where he died on 12th April 1918.  He is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Hainaut, Belgium, (Ref: Panel 8.).  He is also remembered in the church at Tollard Royal with an inscription 'died in France, youngest son of Bennett George'.  He does not appear on the village War Memorial.  He was awarded the Victory and British War medals.

Images:

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Cann and Shaftesbury from Melbury Hill

Arthur Burden

Surname: Burden
Other names: Arthur
Other people in this story:
Charles Burden
Mary Ann Burden (nee Pamden)
May Eva Burden née Toop
Ernest Arthur Besant
Wyndham Burden
Locations in this story:
Shaftesbury, Dorset
Cann Common, Shaftesbury, Dorset
India
France & Flanders
Theipval Memorial, Somme, France
Christchurch, Hampshire

Story:
Arthur Burden was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, his birth being registered in the 1st quarter of 1888, the son of Charles Burden and Mary Ann Burden (nee Pamden), a local family. He spent his early years at Cann Common, Shaftesbury, Dorset, but on 3rd June 1906 had enlisted with the 2nd/1st Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment as a Private (Service No. 8088).  He served in India and was awarded the India Coronation Durbar Medal in 1912.  He returned to the UK and was placed on reserve on 2nd December 1913 but was mobilized and joined the 5th Battalion on 5th August 1914 on the outbreak of war.  He married May Eva Toop in Christchurch, Hampshire, in 1915.  Arthur had been promoted to the rank of Sergeant and served in France and Flanders where he was killed in action on 26th September 1916. He is remembered on the Theipval Memorial, Somme, France, (Pier and Face 7 B).  (There is a notation on family records saying he was buried at some time well after the conflict but no grave reference is given.)    He was awarded the Victory and British War medals as well as the 1914 Star.  He was later granted the 1915 Star clasp following application from the family.  It is understood his widow remarried, to Ernest Arthur Besant in 1922. His brother, Wyndham Burden, had also served in the conflict.

Images:

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Names on Gillingham War Memorial 2

Victor Stokes

Surname: Stokes
Other names: Victor
Other people in this story:
Harry Stokes
Augusta Farmer Stokes née Gatehouse
Locations in this story:
Hartgrove, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Milton on Stour, Gillingham, Dorset
France & Flanders
Mericourt-L'Abbe Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France
Gillingham War Memorial, Gillingham, Dorset

Story:
Victor Stokes was born in Hartgrove, Shaftesbury, Dorset, registered in the 1st quarter of 1900, the son of Harry Stokes and Augusta Farmer Stokes (née Gatehouse), a local family.  Victor lived for the first few years of his life at Hartgrove but, by 1905, had moved with his family to Milton on Stour, Gillingham, Dorset.  He enlisted with the 8th Battalion of the Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment as a Private (Service No. 45981).  He served in France & Flanders where, according to the Dependant's Pension Record Form, he was accidentally killed on 5th September 1918 along with at least two other fellow members of the Regiment.  He was buried in the Mericourt-L'Abbe Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France, (Grave Ref: III. H. 15.) and is remembered on the Gillingham War Memorial.   He was awarded the Victory and British War medals.  His family received a pension payment for some years after the event certainly up until 1934 when Victor's mother died in 1934.

Images:
  • Gillingham War Memorial 2
  • Gillingham War Memorial 1
  • Names on Gillingham War Memorial 1

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The National Archives
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Names on Mere War Memorial 8

Charles Card

Surname: Card
Other names: Charles
Other people in this story:
Richard Thomas Card
Hannah Mary Annie Card née Lander
Eliza Mary Card née Henly
Locations in this story:
Motcombe, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Mere, Wiltshire
Brompton, London
France & Flanders
Cambrai Memorial, Louveral, Nord, France

Story:
Charles Card was born at Motcombe, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 22nd January 1891 and baptised at Mere, Wiltshire, on 18th February 1891, the son of Richard Thomas Card and Hannah Mary Annie Card (née Lander).  He lived his early childhood in and around Motcombe until, by 1911, the family had moved to Mere, Wiltshire.  He enlisted and joined the Coldstream Guards as a Private (Service No. 21487).  He married Eliza Mary Henly in Brompton, London, on 24th January 1917 and returned to service in France & Flanders where he was presumed killed in action on 27th November 1917.   He is remembered on the Cambrai Memorial, Louveral, Nord, France, (Panel 2), and on the War Memorial at Mere, Wiltshire.  He was awarded the Victory and British War medals.

Images:
  • Names on Mere War Memorial 7
  • Mere War Memorial 2
  • Mere War Memorial 1

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