Story:
Percival Brine was born in Motcombe, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 26 Jan 1892 the son of John Brine and Louisa Brine (nee Prior).  He lived all his life, apart from a short period of Military Service, in Sherborne Causeway, Motcombe, Shaftesbury.   He enlisted on 7 Sep 1914 and joined the Dragoons of the Line (part of the General Service Cavalry) as a Private (Service Nos. H23739 & 9349).  He was declared unlikely to make an efficient soldier by the fact that he had lost two fingers of his left hand and was discharged on 6 Mar 1915.  No record of a Silver War Badge has been found.   He married Ellen Cecilia Henbest at Holy Trinity Church, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 1 Apr 1918.   His death was recorded at the Sturminster, Dorset, Registry on 26 Oct 1937 and buried at St. John's Church, Enmore Green, Shaftesbury.  Of his brothers, Frank Brine and Albert Brine, both served and died during the conflict as did his cousin, Reginald Brine, who was in the Royal Navy.  His other brother, Douglas Harold, served and survived.

Story:
William Thorn was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, and his birth registered there in the July/September Quarter of 1876.  He had served with the 3rd Dorsetshire Regiment as a Volunteer which service had terminated.   He had married Mary Fulford at St. Martin's Church, Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 1912 and they were living at Freemans Cottages, Shipton Bellinger, Wiltshire, at the time William re-enlisted on 1 Sep 1914 and joined the 3rd Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment as a Private (Service No. 9976).   However he was discharged on 3 Oct 1914 having been found medically unfit to serve due to a severe hernia.  There in no other information on this person.

Story:
Archie Job Foot was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 6 Aug 1881 and baptised at St. James Church on 2 Sep 1881 the son of Erasmus Foot and Amelia Foot (nee Foot).  (NB the name is frequently changed from Foote to Foot in the records.)   He spent some of his early life in Shaftesbury and at other times lived with relatives in Donhead St. Andrew, Wiltshire.   By 1901 he was boarding in St. Pancras, Middlesex, working as an Engine Cleaner for the Great Western Railway (GWR) and by 1911 he had moved to Cardiff, Wales, having progressed to being a Locomotive Fireman.   He enlisted on 10 Sep 1914 and joined the Army Service Corps as a Driver (Service No. M2/9496).  He was attached to the Motor Transport Division and served for a time in France and Flanders with the 3rd Company.  He had sustained a neck injury at one time for which a pension claim was made but rejected.   He was finally discharged on 12 Feb 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War Medals.  He had married Lucy M. Clarke in Cardiff during 1914 and they set up home at 83 Crwys Road, Cardiff, Wales.   By the time of the 1939 Register he was still at the Cardiff address and working as a Locomotive Driver on the GWR.  His death was recorded in Warminster, Wiltshire, during 1960.   His brothers, Albert Thomas Foot and James Foot, also served in the conflict.

Story:
John Edward Primrose Strange was born in the Weymouth, Dorset, Registry area in 1895 and baptised at St. John's Church, Melcombe Regis, Weymouth, on 25 Aug 1895 the son of Edward Frank Strange and Mary Clarke Strange (nee Wishart).   The family had moved to St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, by 1901 until by 1903 they moved to 5 High Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset, where they were in business.   John enlisted on 8 Dec 1915 and joined the Cyclists Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment as a Private (Service Nos. 2085 & 29607).  He served in France and Flanders variously with the 9th, 2/9th and 2nd Battalions.  On 27 Jul 1916 he received a high explosive wound to the face with a complicated fracture to the lower jaw.  He was repatriated to the UK on 22 Oct 1916 and finally discharged as unfit for further service on 5 Jun 1918.  He received the Silver War Badge No. 397218 and later was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.  He married Alice Elizabeth Magdalene Hellyar in St. Columb, Cornwall, in 1928.  Unfortunately he died on 4 Apr 1934 in Launceston, Cornwall.  His widow eventually remarried Frederick Price Sharwood in 1941.   John's brother, Stuart Menzies Frank Strange, also served in the conflict.

Story:
Walter James Arnold was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 22 May 1884 and baptised at St. James Church on 22 Jun 1884 the son of Philip Arnold and Ellen Arnold (nee Woodford).  The family lived in St. Johns Hill, Shaftesbury, until by 1891 they had moved to North Bradley, Trowbridge, Somerset.   Walter married Ellen Barrows in Charing, near West Ashford, Kent, on 1 Oct 1913.   He enlisted on 10 Dec 1915 and was mobilized on 7 Jun 1916 and joined the 15th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment as a Private (Service No. 315526).  During his service he had a number of transfers namely Somerset Light Infantry (Service No. 18492); the 17th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment (Service No. 54473); the 11th Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment (Service No. 48392) and finally the Worcestershire Regiment (Service Nos. 56372 & 70750).   During this time he served in France and Flanders (where he was wounded) and Egypt.  He was discharged on 3 Dec 1919 and was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.  By the time of the 1939 Register he was living at Mountfield, Camden Park Road, Chislehurst, Kent, where he was working as a Gardener.   He died on 15 Nov 1966 and was buried in Greenwich, London, on 22 Nov 1966.