1914-1918 Archives - Page 161 of 162 - Shaftesbury Remembers the Great War

William Thomas Cole

Surname: Cole

Other names: William Thomas

Locations in this story:
Blandford
St. Peter's Church, Shaftesbury
Holy Trinity Church, Shaftesbury
The Bank House, High Street, Gillingham
Salisbury Street, Blandford
The Square, Axbridge, Somerset
Wimborne, Dorset

Story:
William Thomas Cole was born in 1897 in Blandford. He was the son of John Cole, a bank manager, and Caroline Jessie Cole (nee Atkinson). Due to the father's employment the family moved around often. In 1901 they were in Salisbury Street, Blandford and by 1911 they had moved to The Square, Axbridge, Somerset, leaving William as a boarder at school in Wimborne. Between then and the death of their son, the family were recorded at The Bank House, High Street, Gillingham, Dorset. William enlisted with the 100th T.R. Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 46016). He later transferred to the Royal Air Force and held the rank of 2nd Lieutenant at the time of his death in a flying accident on 23rd October 1918. He was buried to the west of the church at Holy Trinity Churchyard in a private grave.

The Victory and British War medals were sent to his parents at 156 New North Road, Islington, London N1 on 29th May 1923. He is remembered on the Park Walk War Memorial and on the Holy Trinity Memorial, now in St. Peter's Church, Shaftesbury.

Images:

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives

Victor Alfred Ryall

30th January 2017/in 1914-1918 London Regiment /by Ann Symons

Surname: Ryall

Other names: Victor Alfred

Locations in this story:
Shaftesbury
Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval, Somme, France
Compton Abbas
France & Flanders
Cann, Shaftesbury

Story:
Victor Alfred Ryall was born on 14th February, 1896 in Cann, Shaftesbury and was baptised there on 26th April, 1896. He was the son of William Ryall, a bricklayer journeyman, and Eleanor Ferdman Ryall (née Goodman). His brother Sydney John (b.1898) also served in the First World War, with the Dorsetshire Regiment. At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as a farm labourer and living at 15 Compton Abbas. He enlisted in Shaftesbury and joined the 3rd Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 11202). He later transferred to the 17th (County of London Battalion) (Poplar and Stepney Rifles) of the London Regiment (new Service No. 6085) and at the time of his death held the rank of Lance Corporal. He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He died on 15th September 1916 and was buried at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval, Somme, France (grave id. XII.B.24). He is remembered on the Compton Abbas War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

Images:

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Sydney John Ryall

Percy John Brown

30th January 2017/in 1914-1918 19th (Queen Alexandra's Own) Hussars /by Ann Symons

Surname: Brown

Other names: Percy John

Locations in this story:
Sturminster Newton
St. Marys Church, Compton Abbas
Lydlinch, Sturminster Newton
Aldershot
Prystock Far, Twyford, Dorset
Stock Gayland, Dorset

Story:
Percy John Brown was born on 25th April, 1897 in Lydlinch, Sturminster, and baptised at Stock Gayland Church on 6th June 1897. He was the son of George Brown, a cowman, and Arabella Ann Brown (née Roberts). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, was a scholar and living at Lydlinch, Sturminster Newton.

On 11th December 1915 he enlisted at Sturminster Newton as a Private and joined 'B' Squadron of 19th Royal Hussars (Queen Alexandra's Own) (Service No. 29867). He was posted to France on 22nd October 1916, where he received gunshot wounds in the right shoulder on 8th August, 1918. He was eventually posted back to Aldershot on 13th March, 1919 and was declared unfit for further military service and discharged on 28th March, 1919. He was awarded the Victory and British War medals. He died at Prystock Farm Twyford, Dorset, on 28th July 1919 and was buried in St. Mary's Churchyard, Compton Abbas. His grave has an official War Graves Commission stone and he is remembered on the Compton Abbas War Memorial.

Images:

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Frank Dibben

30th January 2017/in 1914-1918 Dorsetshire Regiment /by Ann Symons

Surname: Dibben

Other names: Frank

Locations in this story:
Shaftesbury
Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres
Twyford, Compton Abbas
France & Flanders
Compton Abbas, Dorset
East Orchard, Dorset

Story:
Frank Dibben was born in 1891 at Compton Abbas, Shaftesbury. He was the son of Alfred Dibben, a farm labourer, and Sarah Ann Dibben (nee Rideout). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, was working as a farm labourer and living at 45 Twyford, Compton Abbas. He enlisted in Shaftesbury as a Private and joined the 6th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 11282). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. He died on 16th February 1916 and his name appears on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres (Panel 37). He is remembered on the Compton Abbas War Memorial, Shaftesbury and on the memorial window in St. Thomas's Church, East Orchard. His brothers, Claude Dibben and Charlie Dibben, also served in the conflict but survived.

Images:

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Claude Dibben
Charlie Dibben

David Charles Fox

30th January 2017/in 1914-1918 Royal Army Medical Corps /by Ann Symons

Surname: Fox

Other names: David Charles

Locations in this story:
Shaftesbury
Tyne Cot Memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Compton Abbas
France & Flanders
Wimborne, Dorset

Story:
David Charles Fox was born in Compton Abbas, Shaftesbury, on 4th April, 1893. He was the son of John Fox, a shepherd, and Sarah Jane Fox (née Creed). At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as a shepherd and living at 8 Compton Abbas. He enlisted in Wimborne, Dorset, as a Private in the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 9960) but transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps (Service No. 46817). He served with the 58th Field Ambulance in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He died on 10th April 1918 and his name appears on the Tyne Cot Memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium (Panel 160). He is remembered on the Compton Abbas War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

Images:

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Ernest Rideout

30th January 2017/in 1914-1918 Dorsetshire Regiment /by Ann Symons

Surname: Rideout

Other names: Ernest

Locations in this story:
Shaftesbury
Arras Memorial, Arras, Pas de Calais, France
Compton Abbas
France & Flanders

Story:
Ernest Rideout was born in 1895 in Compton Abbas, Shaftesbury. He was the son of Mark Rideout, a carter, and Ellen Rideout (née Adlem). At the time of the 1911 Census, he was working as a farm labourer and living at 3 Compton Abbas. He enlisted in Shaftesbury on 30th December, 1914, as a Private and joined the 6th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 12703). He served in France & Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and the 1914/1915 Star medals. He died on 12th April 1917 and his name appears on the Arras Memorial, Arras, Pas de Calais, France (Bay 6). He is remembered on the Compton Abbas War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

Images:

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Ernest Walter Holly

8th November 2016/in 1914-1918 Royal Army Service Corps /by Ann Symons

Surname: Holly

Other names: Ernest Walter

Locations in this story:
Melbury Abbas
Cann Comon, Cann, Shaftesbury
Greece
Dedeagatch British Cemetery, Alexandroupolis, Greece

Story:
Ernest Walter Holly was born in 1895 in Melbury Abbas and baptised there on 8th December 1895. He was the son of Mark Holly, a farm labourer, and Harriet Holly (née Smith) and was one of a family of eleven children. At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as a farm labourer and living at Cann Common, Cann, Shaftesbury. He enlisted as a Driver in the Army Service Corps (Service No. T4/039638) and was a driver with the 798th Horse Transport Company. He served in Greece and was awarded the Victory and British War medals. He died in Greece on 27th December 1918 and was buried at Dedeagatch British Cemetery, Alexandroupolis, Greece, (grave id. 69). The cemetery is associated with the No 31 Casualty Clearing Station. He is remembered on the Cann War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

Ernest's brothers also served during the war: Harry Percival (b.1891) with the Royal Garrison Artillery and Herbert John (b.1892) with the Dorsetshire Regiment, the Devonshire Regiment and the Hampshire Regiment.

Images:

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Harry Percival Holly
Herbert John Holly

William Alford

8th November 2016/in 1914-1918 Welsh Regiment /by Ann Symons

Surname: Alford

Other names: William

Locations in this story:
Boyne Cottage, Cann
Shaftesbury
France & Flanders
Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy, Pas de Calais, France
Cardiff, Wales

Story:
William Alford was born in 1890 in Cann, Shaftesbury. He was the son of James Alford, a farmer, and Hannah Alford (née Pyke). His siblings included Ernest John, born in 1883, who also died in the war. The family lived at Boyne Cottage, Cann, Shaftesbury. At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as an agricultural labourer and living at Boyne Cottage, Cann, Shaftesbury. He married Kathleen Henry in Cardiff during 1913 and there were two children of the marriage, James William Llewelyn Alford (b. 1913) and Alice Mary Alford (b. 1915). He enlisted in Cardiff as a Private in the 16th Battalion of the Welsh Regiment (Service No. 24045). He served in France and Flanders and was awarded the Victory, British War and 1915 Star medals. He died on 31st March 1916 and was buried at the Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy, Pas de Calais, France, (grave id. III.O.11). He is remembered on the Cann War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

Two of William's brothers served with the Royal Garrison Artillery in the war: Ernest John (b.1882), who sadly died in France in 1918 and Percy (b.1887) who died in 1925 as a result of tuberculosis contracted while in the army.

Printed sources:
"The Alford Family of Cann, Shaftesbury, Dorset", Gold Hill Museum Archives.

Images:

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Ernest John Alford
Percy Thomas Alford

Arthur Victor Robert Brickell

8th November 2016/in 1914-1918 Royal Warwickshire Regiment /by Ann Symons

Surname: Brickell

Other names: Arthur Victor Robert

Locations in this story:
Butt's Knapp, Cann, Shaftesbury, Dorset
France & Flanders
Puchevillers British Cemetery, Somme, France
Shaftesbury, Dorset

Story:
Arthur Victor Robert Brickell (always known as Victor) was born in 1896 in Cann, Shaftesbury, Dorset, and baptised at St. Rumbold's Church, Cann, on 28th June, 1896. He was the son of James Brickell, a gardener, and Lucy Elizabeth Brickell (née Andrews). Unfortunately his father died in 1901. At the time of the 1911 Census he was single, working as an errand boy for Stratton, Sons & Mead (Grocers) of Shaftesbury, Dorset, and living at Butt's Knapp, Cann, Shaftesbury. He enlisted in Shaftesbury as a Private in the 7th Battalion and later the 10th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (Service No. 28387). He served in France and Flanders and was awarded the Victory and British War Medals. He died on 27th March 1917 of bronco-pneumonia and dysentry and was buried at Puchevillers British Cemetery, Somme, France (grave id. VI.E.46). He is remembered on the Cann War Memorial, Shaftesbury. His name also appears on the Roll of Honour of his former employers, Stratton, Sons & Mead of Shaftesbury. Victor's brother Charles Henry also served in the war, with the Royal Army Medical Corps.

Images:

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Charles Henry Brickell

Ernest John Alford

8th November 2016/in 1914-1918 Royal Garrison Artillery /by Ann Symons

Surname: Alford

Other names: Ernest John

Locations in this story:
Cann
Shaftesbury
France & Flanders
Pozieres, Somme, France
Foxhill, Wanboro, Wiltshire
Plymouth, Devon
St. Rumbold's Church, Cann
Somme, France

Story:
Ernest John Alford was born on 9th December 1882 and baptised at St. Rumbold's Church, Cann on 9th January 1883. He was the son of James Alford, a farmer, and Hannah Alford (née Pyke). In 1891 the family were living at 5 Butts Knapp, Cann. They were still living there in 1901 and Ernest was employed as a general labourer working on a farm. By 1911 the family had moved to Boyne Cottage, Cann, Shaftesbury, but Ernest had left the family home. When he enlisted at the Citadel, Plymouth as a Gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery (Service No. 73193) he indicated his address as Foxhill, Wanboro, Wiltshire employed as a Gardener and still single. He was posted to the 250th Siege Battery on 7th October 1916 transferring later to the 122nd Siege Battery on 30th July 1917. He served in France and family records show that he was wounded there on 14th June 1917, but recovered to resume his duties. The official record states that he 'died on or since 21st March 1918' on the Somme. At the time of his death his parents were living at The Tollhouse, Cann, Shaftesbury. He was awarded the Victory and British War medals and is commemorated on The Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France (Panel 10). He is remembered on the Cann War Memorial, Shaftesbury.

His siblings included William (b.1890) who sadly died while serving in France in 1918 and Percy Thomas (b.1887) who died in 1925 as the result of contracting tuberculosis while in the army.

Printed sources:
"The Alford Family of Cann, Shaftesbury, Dorset", Gold Hill Museum Archives.

Images:

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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
William Alford
Percy Thomas Alford