Some moved away from home and signed up elsewhere; others had subsequent links to Buckhorn Weston or Gillingham or the Dorset regiments. Some returned home and many didn't.
The research for the soldiers listed below, who gave their lives, was undertaken by Lynda Grange of Gillingham Local History Society.
If you can add any information or provide photographs of the soldiers featured, then please email David at office@gillinghammuseum.co.uk
The Memorial board left is situated in Buckhorn Weston Church.
Some of the soldiers listed on the memorial are featured below.
Information about Charlie COX, Frederick STONE and Reginald BURDEN has not been traced.
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BOVETT William Arthur
Rifleman William Arthur Bovett S11611 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade killed in action in Belgium 6 July 1915. William was born at Whimple, near Exeter, Devon on 2 April 1896 the youngest child of Walter and Mary Bovett. In 1901 William lived with his parents and older sister at Bowden, Kington Magna.
In 1911 William was the only child remaining at home with his parents and living at Tunnel Head, Buckhorn Weston. He was employed as a stable lad at the nearby Stud Farm where his father was employed as a groom. His mother Mary died in April 1914.
William enlisted on 2 September 1914 at Taunton when his medical record shows that he was tall at 5’ 11”. After spending the first year of his military service in Britain he went to France with the British Expeditionary Force on 23 June 1915 and was assumed killed in action only two weeks later on 6 July 1915.
He is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial and on Buckhorn Weston Memorial Tablet where his name is incorrectly spelled and his regiment incorrectly shown as 9th Lancers.
William was awarded the 14/15 Star and Victory Medal. His father was living Nash Court Cottage, Marnhull at time of William’s death and later moved to Canford, Wimborne.
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COLLIS Sidney Herbert
15498 Private Sidney Herbert Collis 3rd Battalion Dorset Regiment died 21 March 1917 age 39.
Sidney Herbert Collis was baptised at Horsington, Somerset 2 February 1879. He was the eighth child of Samuel and Lucy Collis and had two younger brothers.
In 1881 the family lived at Horsington Marsh and Sidney’s father Samuel was a farm labourer. By 1891 the family had moved to North Cheriton, Somerset. Sidney’s father Samuel died in 1896 and in 1901 his mother and some of his siblings were living at Buckhorn Weston. Sidney’s whereabouts in 1901 aren’t known.
However, in 1911 Sidney was again living with his mother and two younger brothers at Dunster, Buckhorn Weston and he was employed as a farm labourer.
Sidney joined the 3rd Battalion Dorset Regiment which was a training battalion for recruits, initially at Weymouth and from June 1915 located at Wyke Regis.
Sidney was still serving in the army at the time of his death on 21 March 1917 but the cause of his death isn’t known. He is buried at Melcombe Regis Cemetery, Weymouth, Dorset and was awarded the British and Victory medals.
One of Sidney’s older brothers served in the Dorset Regiment in Malta and India between 1898 and 1900 and his younger brother Percy served in the 5th Dorset Regiment during WWI.
HINE Frederick
Chief Stoker Frederick George Hine HMS Black Prince died 1 June 1916 aged 33.
Frederick George Hine was born 4 December 1881 at Cucklington, Somerset where his father was a blacksmith. Frederick was baptised at Cucklington Church on 5 February 1882 and he was the eldest child of his parents George and Mary Ellen.
By 1891 Frederick’s family lived at The Street, Buckhorn Weston and he had three younger brothers and a younger sister. Frederick had two more sisters and another brother before he joined the Royal Navy on 31 July 1899, signing on for a period of 12 years. Prior to joining the navy Frederick had been a groom and a gardener.
In 1901 Frederick was at Birkenhead, Cheshire aboard HMS Spiteful. His father died in 1905 and by 1911 his younger brother Sidney was operating as blacksmith at Buckhorn Weston.
Frederick married Kathleen Maud Frances Skelton at Christchurch, Dorset on 25 April 1910 and their daughter Lilian Freda was born in January 1911 at Bournemouth.
On the night of the census in 1911 Frederick was aboard HMS Achilles which was docked at Portsmouth. By that time Frederick was a stoker and in 1911 he signed on for further naval service.
Frederick served on many different ships and in October 1915 joined HMS Black Prince as Acting Chief Stoker. HMS Black Prince was an armoured cruiser launched in 1904. She was powered by four-cylinder triple expansion steam engines powered by 20 water tube boilers and six cylindrical boilers. The ship carried over 2000 tons of coal and over 600 tons of fuel oil that was sprayed onto the coal to increase it’s burn rate. As chief stoker Frederick would have been responsible for ensuring that the ship was fully powered when at sea.
HMS Black Prince was part of the Grand Fleet in 1915 and received some modifications in March 1916. This was perhaps the last time that Frederick would have been able to spend a little time with his wife and daughter. HMS Black Prince took part in the Battle of Jutland and was sunk during engagement with the German fleet on 1 June 1916. Her entire crew of 857 men perished.
Frederick is remembered on the Naval Memorial at Portsmouth and on the memorial plaque at St John the Baptist Church, Buckhorn Weston. Frederick’s youngest brother Ivor Charles Hine served during WWI as Private M2/175032 in the Royal Army Service Corps and died of heart failure aged 23 at Boscombe, Dorset on 23 May 1919.
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HINE Ivor Charles
M2/175032 Private Ivor Charles Hine RASC attached to the Anti-Aircraft Section of Royal Garrison Artillery died aged 23 on 23 May 1919.
Ivor Charles Hine born 1895 at Buckhorn Weston was the youngest of the eight children of George and Mary Ellen Hine. His father George, a blacksmith, died when he was ten years old and in 1911 he was living at Buckhorn Weston with his widowed mother and older brother Sidney who had taken over the blacksmith business. Ivor was working as an errand boy.
Ivor served during WWI as Driver M2/175032 in the Royal Army Service Corps and was
attached to Anti-Aircraft Section of the Royal Garrison Artillery. Aged 23 he married Louisa Lane at St James Church, Pokesdown, Bournemouth on 7 October 1918 but died the following year of heart failure at Boscombe, Dorset on 23 May 1919. He is buried at Bournemouth East Cemetery.
He was awarded the British War and Victory Medal. He is remembered on the WW1 memorial at St James Church, Pokesdown, Bournemouth and on a Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial at Bournemouth East Cemetery shown right.
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MOGG Reginald
39527 Private Reginald Mogg 12th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment
died age 19 on 25 August 1918.
Reginald was born on 6 November 1899 and baptised on 4 February 1900 at All Saints Church, Chitterne, Wiltshire. He was the second son of Henry and Asenath Susan Mogg and he had an elder brother and two elder sisters.
In 1901 the family lived at Little Cheverell. Wiltshire and his father was a yard man on a farm. In March 1903 he began his education at Little Cheverell School and in 1908 his family left that parish. In 1911 the family lived at Longmoor, Gillingham and Reginald had a younger brother and sister. His father was an agricultural labourer and his mother was a glove machinist. Reginald’s elder brother was also a farm labourer, one of his sisters was in domestic service whilst Reginald was still at school.
Reginald enlisted at Dorchester in the 12th (Service) (Bristol) Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment, due to his age this would have been in the latter part of WWI. The Battalion came into action at the Third Battle of Albert on 21 August 1918. 95th Brigade led, with 12th Gloucesters as its reserve. Once the second objective had been taken, 12th Gloucesters took over and despite having lost the barrage advanced over a mile of open country with some of 1st East Surreys and just reached the Arras–Albert railway before meeting stronger opposition. Mist now hampered the artillery and tanks and the battalion was unable to push beyond the railway to the final objective. It had lost an officer and 11 other ranks killed, and nearly 100 wounded.
Next day the battalion consolidated, then drove off a German counter-attack at 17.30, capturing 180 prisoners and five machine guns in the process. On 23 August, reinforced by two companies of 1st DCLI, the battalion launched an attack at 11.00 behind a creeping barrage to capture the railway line itself. The Germans had numerous machine gun nests along it and caused numerous casualties before they were overrun. Having lost the barrage, the battalion was unable to advance beyond the ridge to Irles, and requested reinforcements. Before they arrived, the neighbouring brigade attacked, so Lt-Col Colt led a charge by the remainder of 12th Gloucesters and the DCLI companies to capture the village, though losses were heavy: 30 men were killed and nine officers and 170 men wounded.
Reginald was reported missing between 21
and 25 August 1918 during this operation and was presumed dead on 25 August 1918. However his family must have still been seeking confirmation of his death after the war ended as an enquiry about him was made to the British Red Cross on 20 November 1918.
Reginald was awarded the British and Victory Medals and is remembered on the Vis en Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France and on the memorial plaque in St John the Baptist Church, Buckhorn Weston.
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OATES Sidney George
16355 Private Sidney George Oates 7th Battalion Dorset Regiment died age 21 on 20 February 1916.
Sidney was born at Odcombe, Somerset in 1895 and baptised on 24 March at Odcombe. He was the son of John and Mary Oates of Odcombe, Yeovil and his father was an inn keeper.
His mother Mary died in 1899 and in 1901 Sidney was living at 24 Weston Street, Buckhorn Weston with his grandparents Job and Elizabeth Green. He was still living in Buckhorn Weston in 1911 with his widowed grandmother Elizabeth; his aunt Sarah Gartland and Sarah’s son Charles age 2. Sidney was employed as a carpenter’s apprentice.
Sidney enlisted in the Dorset Regiment at Gillingham in the autumn of 1915 and died less than 6 months later at the Military Hospital, Bovington Camp, Wool, Dorset 0n 20 February 1916. The cause of his death isn’t known. He was buried at Buckhorn Weston on 23 February 1916 and is remembered on the memorial tablet in St John the Baptist Church, Buckhorn Weston.
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READ Edgar
36203 Driver Edgar Read “A” Battery 73rd Brigade Royal Field Artillery died in field on 3 November 1916 age 21.
Edgar Read was born at Buckhorn Weston the sixth son of Frank and Ellen Read who had a total of ten children. Edgar was baptised at Buckhorn Weston on 12 September 1895.
In 1901 the family lived at Wasling and Edgar’s father Frank was an agricultural labourer. Frank died in 1908. In 1911 Edgar was living in Wasling Cottage, Buckhorn Weston with his widowed mother and three older brothers; one older and two younger sisters. He was employed as a labourer.
Edgar enlisted at Gillingham and served with” A” Battery of 73rd Brigade Royal Field Artillery. During WWI the Royal Field Artillery provided horse drawn howitzer and medium artillery support for the infantry near the front line. As a driver Edgar would have been responsible for the horses drawing the guns and taking part in the Battle of the Somme which lasted from 1 July until 18 November 1916.
Edgar is buried at St Sever cemetery, Rouen, France (left) and received the British, 14/15 Star, and Victory medals so must have been serving since 1914.
He is remembered on the Memorial Tablet at St John the Baptist Church, Buckhorn Weston.
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STREET Henry James
10314 Serjeant Henry James Street 5th Dorset Regiment died in action aged 23 on 11 April 1918.
Henry was born at Buckhorn Weston, Dorset in 1895.
He was the second son of George and Charlotte Street and in 1901 the family lived at Marsh, Wincanton where his father was an agricultural labourer. At that time he had an older brother and two younger sisters. In 1911 the family was still living at Wincanton, at Higher Marsh Court and by then Henry had three more brothers and another sister. Henry was employed as a labourer.
He joined the 5th Dorset Regiment at Dorchester on 31 August 1914. He was promoted to Lance Corporal in February 1915 and the regiment went overseas to the Balkans on 30 June 1915. In August 1915 he was wounded whilst serving at the Dardanelles and spent a couple of weeks in hospital. In February 1916 Henry reverted to Private at his own request but was again promoted to Corporal in May 1916 and went to Egypt with his regiment a few weeks later where he spent a short time in hospital in Cairo.
In August 1916 Henry went to France and at Rouen he qualified to use a Lewis gun which was a light machine-gun. On 28 October 1917 he was promoted to Serjeant and spent two weeks on leave back in England in January 1918. He then returned to France and was killed in action on 11 April 1918.
Henry was awarded the 14/15 Star, British and Victory medals.
He is remembered on the Loos Memorial, north west of Lens in the Pas de Calais region of France and on the memorial plaque in St John the Baptist Church, Buckhorn Weston.
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WEARE Edward
3763 Private Edward Weare 1st Scottish Horse died age 33 on 18 October 1915 at Gallipoli, Turkey.
Edward Weare was born 1881 at Gillingham, Dorset and was baptised on 2 October 1881 at All Saints Church, Kington Magna. He was the third of John and Martha Weare’s nine children.
The family lived at Tunnel Head, Buckhorn Weston and Edward’s father John was an agricultural labourer. In 1901 Edward was employed as a private groom.
By 1911 he was living at The Lodge, Richards Castle, Ludlow, Shropshire and working as a groom for a retired lieutenant colonel. His employer had served with the Scottish Rifles which may have been the reason that Edward enlisted in a Scottish Regiment.
Edward went with his regiment to the Balkans on 1 September 1915 and took part in dismounted landings at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli where he died of wounds on 18 October.
Edward was awarded the British, 1915 Star and Victory medals.
He is buried at Lala Bala Cemetery, Suvla, Gallipoli, Turkey and is remembered on the Scottish National War Memorial; the memorial plaque at Buckhorn Weston Church and in Kington Magna Churchyard along with his younger brother Leonard who gave his life in France.
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WEARE Leonard Thomas
G/15753 Private Leonard Thomas Weare 6th Battalion Buffs East Kent Regiment died 14 August 1917 age 20 in France.
Leonard Thomas was the youngest of John and Martha Weare’s nine children and was born at Buckhorn Weston. He was baptised at Kington Magna on 3 October 1897.
In 1901 Leonard lived at 4 Tunnel Head, Buckhorn Weston with his parents and three of his sisters and two of his brothers. His father was an agricultural labourer.
In 1911 Leonard’s parents were still living at Buckhorn Weston but he was living at Nizells, Hildenborough, Kent with his older sister Ethel and her husband Christopher Dunford who was a gamekeeper. Ethel and Christopher had married in 1904 and didn’t have any children. Leonard was still attending school.
Presumably, Leonard remained in Kent and so joined the local regiment serving in 6th East Kent Regiment which was formed in 1914 to fight in France.
Leonard died at the final stage of the Battle of Arras in August 1917. He is buried at Monchy Le Preux Cemetery, Pas de Calais between Arras and Cambrai.
He was awarded the British and Victory Medals and is remembered on the memorial plaque in Buckhorn Weston Church and on a cross, which also remembers his brother Edward, at Kington Magna Churchyard.
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