Stanley James Isaiah Westaway was born on 2nd March 1898 in the Devon village of Marldon. One of twelve children, his parents were builder’s labourer George Westaway and his wife, Eliza.
Being a large family, Stanley may have felt the need to make his mark on the world. When war broke out, he found that opportunity and, on 10th April 1916, he enlisted in the Royal Navy.
Taking on the role of Stoker 2nd Class, Stanley was sent to HMS Vivid, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Devonport, for his training. His service papers show that he was 5ft 3ins (1.6m) tall, with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a fresh complexion.
Stoker Westaway’s first posting was aboard HMS Berwick, a cruiser that patrolled the English Channel. He remained there for eighteen months, and, during this time, he gained a promotion to Stoker 1st Class. In November 1917, he returned to his shore base, and remained there through to the following spring.
In early 1918, Stanley fell ill. As he was at sea at the time, he was sent to the closest Royal Naval Hospital in Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire. His condition worsened and the condition was to prove fatal: he passed away on 8th April 1918, at the age of 19 years of age.
The body of Stanley James Isaiah Westaway was taken back to Devon for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of St John the Baptist’s Church in his home village.
Sydney Milton Devenish was born in Perth, Western Australia, on 27th October 1884. One of eight children, he was the oldest son to Ralph and Ann Devenish. There is little information about his early life, but when he completed his schooling, he found work as a carter.
On 28th December 1912, Sydney married Matilda Durnin. They set up home in Fremantle, and had four children: Olive Harold, Sydney and Flora.
When war was declared, Sydney was keen to play his part. He tried to enlist at the start of 1916, but was turned down because of a heart issue. He tried again a year later, and was taken on as a Private in the Australian Imperial Force. His service records show that he was 5ft 3ins (1.6m) tall, and weighed 139lbs (63kg). He was noted as having light brown hair, brown eyes and a fresh complexion.
Private Devenish set sail from Perth on 29th June 1917. The voyage to Britain would take two months and, after arriving in Plymouth, Devon, he was marched into base at Durrington, on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. The journey took a lot out of the soldiers, and many fell ill because of it. Sydney was soon admitted to the Fargo Military Hospital with influenza, and spent a week there.
Sydney was discharged from hospital on 15th September, and would continue with his training as part of the 51st Battalion. His health was still causing a problem, however, and he was admitted to a military hospital again, this time in Sutton Veny, Wiltshire.
This man paraded in sick at 1.30pm on 8.2.18.. He had a diffuse swelling on the right side of the jaw. This did not extend down to the next, nor were there any other signs of Oedema found. There was a history of these sudden swellings …three day’s medicince [sic] given [to] this man; he complained of no pain.
I was awakened at 3.25am this morning [9th February] and told by two men that a man was choking… On my arrival there I found that life was extinct but did artificial respiration for a few minutes proving that there was a block in the lower respiratory passages somewhere, as air was difficult to force out of the chest. This man was cyanosed and there was a diffuse swelling of the face and neck…
Private Devenish died of an acute angioneurotic odema: he was 33 years of age.
The body of Sydney Milton Devenish was taken to nearby Warminster for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Denys’ Church.
Sydney’s personal effects were forwarded to Matilda. The extensive list included ‘5 prs sox, 1 pr knee pads, 3 khaki collars, 3 balaclavas, water-proof cap cover, 1 money belt, 2 hair brushes in case, 1 safety raxor & blades in tin, 1 tin cigarette cards, 1 coo-ee wallet with letters, 2 note books, 2 religious books, 1 Cpl’s chevrons, 1 holdall (containing 2 razors, 1 comb, 1 clasp knife, 1 razor strop, cotton, buttons, cord, badges, metal ring and ribbon), 1 pr mittens, 1 parcel addressed Bailey Devenish, Guildford (containing 5 pieces music, 1 housewife, 2 handkerchiefs, 1 religious book, 1 letter, 1 French book, 1 book of views, 3 pipes, 2 masonic books), 1 tin (containing letters, postcards, signalling and playing cards), 2 novels, 1 prayer book, 1 motor manual, 1 purse, 1 damaged watch, 1 leather watch case, 1 watch protector on strap, 1 pr pliers, 2 kit bag handles & 1 lock, 1 tin opener, 1 pipe, 1 scarf’.
The early life of Albert James Button is a challenge to piece together. Born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1892, his father was also called Albert. When he finished his schooling, he found work as a hotel clerk, settling at 58 Stirling Street, Fremantle. He married a woman called Gladys, and, in his free time, he volunteered in the local militia.
When war broke out, Albert stepped up to play his part. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 9th December 1915, his service papers confirming that he was 5ft 8ins (1.72m) tall and weighed 129lbs (58.5kg). He was noted as having fair hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion: he also had two vaccination marks on his left arm, and a mole on the right side of his neck.
Private Button spent the first half of 1916 training. His voluntary experience put him in good stead, and, he was promoted to Sergeant on 28th March. Towards the end of July, his unit – the 44th Battalion – left Fremantle for Britain, and he arrived in Plymouth, Devon, some two months later.
Sergeant Button was billeted at the ANZAC camp in Codford, Wiltshire. For a unknown reason, when he arrived at the base on 19th September, he was demoted to the rank of Corporal – it is unclear whether or not this was his choice. At this point, he was transferred to the 51st Battalion.
While in Wiltshire, Albert’s training continued. A local newspaper described what happened next:
Mr FAP Sylvester held an inquest at Codford, on Saturday, relative to the death of Corporal Albert James Button, 23, of the Australian Imperial Forces. The deceased, with several of his comrades, was in a bay awaiting his turn to throw a hand grenade, when a private named Taylor, who was in the throwing bay with an instructor, landed his grenade in the opposite direction to that intended, with the result that it pitched into the midst of the soldiers in the waiting bay. Being warned most of the men got away, but the deceased seemed paralysed and stayed until the bomb exploded. He was struck in the head and died almost immediately. Several of his comrades were struck i the legs, but their wounds were not serious. Pte. Taylor’s explanation was that the lever of the grenade caught in his thumb and caused him to swing his arm around. A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.
[Devizes and Wilts Advertiser: Thursday 30th November 1916]
Albert James Button died on 23rd November 1916: he was 24 years of age. He was laid to rest in the recently extended graveyard of St Mary’s Church, Codford. The epitaph on his headstone starts “In loving memory of my comrade”, but it is unclear who specifically paid for it. Was it Private Taylor? We may never know.
Gladys seems to have distanced herself from her husband’s passing. His memorial plaque and medals were returned undelivered, and his pension seems to have gone unclaimed. It was only in 1923 that the Australian Military Forces were able to confirm that she had remarried, and moved to Sydney.
Private Albert Button (from findagrave.com)
Private Button’s service papers shed more detail on the incident that took his life. Evidently a summary of notes taken during the inquest, they are light on punctuation:
Inquiry into the death of a soldier in that he on 23.11.16 at Codford whiles in the bay of a live bomb throwing pitch was killed. The bomb was known by 2264 Pte Taylor of 50th Btn now attached to the 13th Inf Btn, which struck against the top of the parapet to the head of the thrower, owing probably to the spin of the bomb came back and dropped on the inside edge of the bay. All men were warned… to reach cover with the exception of 1870 Cpl Button AJJ 51st Battn. who seemed paralysed with fear. He remained in the bay and was found after the explosion lying across the sandbags which were placed at the entrance to prevent the bombs which were thrown against the parapet from falling into the pen. Other soldiers were wounded by shrapnel effect, because instead of falling down flat when a short distance from the bay, continued to run. The bomb not being as was thought a five second bomb, exploded in three seconds (witness 2nd Liet. JW Swanse 45th Bn)… The Court declared that the occurrence was purely accidental owing to the inexperience of live bomb throwing and nervousness on the part of the thrower, also that no blame is attached to any persons concerned in the practice.
Michael Smith was born in Melbourne, Australia, in the spring of 1878. Details of his early life are scarce, but he seems to have been one of five children to Michael and Mary Smith.
Michael Jr married Lucy Mungovan, twelve years his senior, on 7th August 1915. By this point he had moved to Sydney and was working as a cook. The couple had had a son, William, in 1903, and the wedding seems to have been a way of formalising their relationship in anticipation of the coming war.
Michael Jr enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 13th July 1916. His service records show that, at 38 years of age, he was 5ft 3.5ins (1.61m) tall and weighed 125lbs (56.7kg). A Roman Catholic, he had brown hair, although he was balding, blue eyes and a fresh brown complexion. He was also noted as having two scars: one on the back of his right shoulder, the other on the back of his right thigh.
Assigned to the 45th Battalion of the Australian Infantry, Private Smith’s unit left Sydney on 7th October 1916 for its seven week voyage to Britain. The A40 Ceramic troop ship reached Plymouth, Devon, on 21st November, and Michael was marched to the ANZAC base in Codford, Wiltshire the same day.
The voyage took its toll on the soldiers, and Private Smith was not to be immune. Within a fortnight he had been admitted to the Military Hospital in Sutton Veny, five miles to the north west. He was suffering from pneumonia, but it was to prove too late. He passed away on 5th December 1916 – the day he arrived at the hospital – at the age of 38.
Thousands of miles from home, the body of Michael Smith was laid to rest in the extension to St Mary’s Churchyard in Codford, Wiltshire.
The shock of her husband’s death was to prove too much for Lucy. She passed away on 16th January 1918, at the age of 52.
Thomas Ernest Osborne was born in the spring of 1884 in the New South Wales town of Cardiff. One of twelve children, his parents were Bartholomew and Hannah Osborne.
Little information is available about Thomas’ early life, but he found employment as a miner when he completed his schooling. In 1903 he married Florence McLean: they settled in Wollongong, to the south of Sydney, and had six children.
When war broke out, Thomas stepped up to play his part, and he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 12th June 1916. His service records show that he was 5ft 7.5ins (1.71m) tall, and weighed 168lbs (76.2kg). He had brown hair, brown eyes and a fair complexion. He was also noted has having two vaccination marks on his left arm, and an inch-long scar on his lower lip.
Private Osborne boarded the A40 Ceramic troop ship on 3rd October 1916. It took nearly two months to make the trip from Sydney to Britain, and his unit – the 45th Battalion of the Australian Infantry – finally disembarked in Plymouth, Devon, on 21st November. From here, he marched into the ANZAC base in Codford, Wiltshire.
The voyage from Australia took its toll on a significant number of troops, and Thomas’ health was also impacted. He was admitted to the military hospital in Sutton Veny – just a few miles from base – suffering from pneumonia. The condition was to prove fatal: Private Osborne died on 10th December 1916, at the age of 33 years old.
The body of Thomas Ernest Osborne was laid to rest in the newly extended graveyard of St Mary’s Church, Codford.
Thomas’ effects were sent to his widow, although she was still chasing their return some nine months after his passing. They consisted of “diary, pocket book (leather), wristlet watch and strap, pipe, writing tablet, soap dish, jack knife, pencil, letters, postcards, photos, Testament, money belt, 2 keys, small penknife, ring.”
Florence married again on 16th February 1918, to a Victor Johnson. Thomas’ papers show that communications about her late husband continued, however. On 27th July 1921, an urgent missive was sent to Florence regarding the erection of a permanent headstone for his grave. There is no evidence of any response, and it seems likely that the now Mrs Johnson was unable to cover the cost. Thomas’ grave marker was eventually erected by his army colleagues.
Thomas’ youngest sibling, Reuben, also fought in the First World War. Eleven years younger than his brother, Private R Osborne was attached to the 35th Battalion of the Australian Infantry. By the spring of 1917 his unit was firmly entrenched on the Western Front. Rueben was killed on 7th June, and is commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ypres.
Richard Charles Gladstone Ryan was born in Talia, South Australia, on 31st March 1895. The son of Richard and Margaret Ryan, he was the older of two chidren.
There is little information available about Richard Jr’s early life. When he finished his schooling, he found work as a farm hand, and this was the trade he was following when war broke out. In his spare time, he was a member of the Elliston Rifle Club, and, on receiving the call to serve his King and Empire, he stepped up to play his part.
Private Ryan’s service papers show that he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 13th March 1916. The document shows that he was 5ft 4.75 (1.64m) tall, and weighed 143lbs (64.9kg). A Roman Catholic, Richard had auburn hair, brown eyes and a medium complexion.
Richard ‘s unit – the 50th Battalion of the Australian Infantry – left Adelaide on 21st September 1916. The ship he was on, the A73 Commonwealth, would take nearly two months to reach Britain, and he disembarked in Plymouth, Devon, on 14th November. From there, he was marched to the ANZAC base in Codford, Wiltshire.
Soon after arriving, Private Ryan became unwell. He had contracted pneumonia, and was admitted to the No. 3 New Zealand General Hospital in Codford on 13th December 1916. His condition quickly worsened, and he passed away just three days later. He was 21 years of age.
The body of Richard Charles Gladstone Ryan was laid to rest in the newly extended graveyard of St Mary’s Church in Codford.
Edwin Charles Hocking was born in Newton Abbot, Devon, on 28th January 1873. The youngest of four children, his parents were Richard and Harriet Hocking. Richard was an engine driver, and he was to die less than a year after his youngest boy’s birth:
Mr Deputy-Coroner Square and a jury of twenty-two to-day brought to a conclusion the inquest on the death of the engine driver Richard Hocking. The evidence of numerous witnesses went to show that the accident, which occurred on the morning of the 2nd inst., between Menheniot and St Germans stations occurred in consequence of the guards of two trains being called Dick. The morning was very dark, and at Menheniot there was standing at the station an up and a down goods, and a second down goods was on its way from St Germans, but this was unknown to the up goods. The porter Pratt at Menheniot gave the order to the guard (Wills) of the down train to start, saying “All right, Dick.” The driver of the up train (Scantlebury) was also called Dick, and when he heard the words he said “Is it right for me?” and Pratt, not seeing Scantlebury, and thinking Wills asked the question, repeated “It’s all right, Dick.” Scantlebury through it was meant for him, and gave the order to the deceased, “Right away.” Pratt, who had gone to let out the down train, hearing the starting whistle of the up train, rushed back to the platform waving his hand “danger” light. This attracted the attention of Scantlebury, the head guard, and he missed his van in consequence. Pratt said, “Wherever are you going?” Scantlebury replied, “Right away isn’t it?” Pratt said “God bless the man, who gave you ‘right’? The up goods is ten minutes off St Germans.” Scantlebury cried out “Oh! my God! Oh! my God!” Together they shouted and waved the danger light, but were unable to attract the drivers of either of the two engines attached to the train. The trains came into collision at full speed about two miles away. The deceased and the other driver were at great fault in leaving Menheniot, notwithstanding the order of the guard, for the signal was against them, and they did not observe the rules of the Company. They should not have gone on without hearing the second whistle of the guard, and after starting they should have satisfied themselves that they had the head guard in the train by seeing his lamp. Richard Scantlebury, the head guard, after being cautioned that he need not say anything to criminate himself, gave evidence that when Pratt said “All right Dick” he certainly thought it referred to him, especially as his train had nothing to do at Menheniot.
The jury deliberated for half-an-hour, and then returned a verdict of “Accidental death,” exonerating Pratt and Scantlebury from all blame. The appended a recommendation to the South Devon and Cornwall Railways to provide for a strict observance of their bye-laws for the use of some definite word for the up and down trains, and Christian names never to be used in such cases; that there be communication between the driver and guard on luggage trains as well as passenger trains, and that there be to men at least at each station on duty.
[Western Times: Wednesday 17th December 1873]
Harriet was just 28 years old when her husband died. With four children to raise, she married again – to John Staple – and went on to have four children with him too.
John also passed away in the spring of 1885, and the 1891 census found Harriet and six of her children living at 43 Richmond Terrace, to the west of the centre of Truro, Cornwall. Harriet was working as a washer woman, while Edwin, who was 18 by this point, was employed as a plumber’s assistant.
It is clear that Edwin wanted a better life for himself and in the spring of 1896, he took the skills that he learnt and signed up to the Royal Navy. His service papers show that he was 5ft 5ins (1.64m) tall with dark brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion. He was also noted as having a tattoo on his left forearm.
Edwin took the rank of Plumber’s Mate, and spent the first two years split between two shore establishments – HMS Vivid and HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyards in Devonport, Devon, and Chatham, Kent. He had enlisted for a twelve-year term and, over that time, he would serve on five ships, returning to Chatham in between assignments.
Plumber’s Mate Hocking consistently received very good reviews at his annual appraisals and, when his initial contract came to an end in May 1908, he immediately re-enlisted. He had a family to support by this point, having married Fanny Sears in Camberwell, Surrey, on 16th March 1902. A bricklayer’s daughter, she moved to Gillingham, Kent, to be close to Chatham Dockyard. The couple went on to have five children: Henry, Raymond, Doris, Elsie and Percival.
Back at sea, Edwin’s career continued with some consistency. His annual appraisals noted not on a character that was very good, but an excellent ability. Nevertheless, it would only be in the spring of 1916 that he would gain a promotion to full Plumber. Notwithstanding his general character, Edwin seems to have been a flawed character: in 1909 he applied for a discharge to the Royal Naval Reserve, but this was not approved as he had been found to be “carrying on a business as [a] bookmaker.” Instead, he was to be sent “to sea forthwith and warned that unless his betting practices [were] not stopped his discharge will have to be considered.”
By the summer of 1916, Plumber Hocking was eight years into his second term of service, and had served on five further ships. HMS Pembroke remained his shore base, and it was here that he attained his increased rank.
In October 1916, Edwin was given what would be his final assignment, on board the armoured cruiser HMS Royal Arthur. Based at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys, she was employed as a depot ship for submarines. Plumber Hocking spent ten months on board, before illness hit. Coming down with gastroenteritis following food poisoning, he was transferred back to Kent, and admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham. The condition was to prove his undoing, and he passed away on 23rd August 1917: he was 44 years of age.
The body of Edwin Charles Hocking was laid to rest in the naval section of Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, a short distance from his grieving family’s home in King Edward Road.
George Wilson was born on 1st February 1879 in the village of Worfield, Shoprshire. Details of his early life are unclear, although his father’s name was John.
When he completed his schooling, George found work as a porter. However, he was keen on adventure and a decent career, and so, on 31st May 1898, he enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry. His service papers show that he was 5ft 7.5ins (1.71m) tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and a dark complexion. He was also noted as having a birth mark above his navel.
Private Wilson signed up for a period of twelve years and, during that time, he would serve around the world. Initially sent to barracks in Walmer, Kent, he would become based at Plymouth, Devon, in between assignments. Time overseas would include two years attached to HMS Magnificent (the 1901 census recording the battleship being moored in Gibraltar), two years on board HMS Spartan and three aboard HMS Encounter.
Away from the military, love blossomed and, in January 1909, George married Annie Curtis. She had a daughter, Gladys, who was either George’s, or was adopted by him. The couple set up home in Plymouth, and went on to have a son, Leslie, in 1911.
By this point, Private Wilson had renewed his military contract, and would go on to serve for a further seven years in the Royal Marines. In June 1915, he was assigned to the light cruiser HMS Carysfort. Part of the Harwich Force, her role was to patrol the waters off the east coast of England. During his time on board, George would have been involved in a number of sorties, including an attempt to intercept an enemy raid on Sunderland in August 1916, and another attempt to make contact with German ships off Zeebrugge, Belgium, that October.
In December 1917, while patrolling off Orford Ness, Suffolk. the Carysfort collided with the SS Glentaise, a collier ship. Two crew were killed in the incident, including Private Wilson: he was 37 years of age.
Carysfort sailed to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Navy Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. From here the body of George Wilson was taken to Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham, and he was laid to rest in the naval section there.
William Henry Marsh was born on 6th September 1879 in Whitstable, Kent. An only child, his parents were William and Maria Marsh, and, based on the census records, his early life seemed to have lacked some stability.
The 1881 census recorded William and his mother living on Beach Walk in the town. Marias was recorded as being a mariner’s wife. By 1891, William and his father was living with Maria’s sister and son. Still a mariner, with his son also working as a seaman, William Sr was listed as being a widower.
A decade on, and William Jr’s life had taken a different turn and the 1901 census listed him living on Whitstable High Street. Working as a labourer in the harbour, he is recorded as having a wife, Julia, and a two-year-old son, also William. Sadly, there is no further information about either of them.
The next document for William Jr is his First World War service papers. It shows that he enlisted on 10th March 1915, his previous time at sea making him an ideal candidate for the Royal Naval Reserve. His is noted as being 5ft 7ins (1.7m) tall, with blue eyes and a fresh complexion. He also had a tattoo of clasped hands on his right forearm. The most interesting thing about this document, however, is the fact that William had chosen to go by the surname of Coombes.
Given the rank of Leading Seaman, William would spend the next couple of years serving mainly on shore, at bases in London and Devonport. By the spring of 1918, while attached to the SS Eastville, he was admitted to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. Suffering from anaemia and malaria, the conditions would take his life. He died on 19th March 1918, at the age of 38 years old.
The body of William Henry Coombes was laid to rest in the naval section of Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent, not far from the dockyard he would have known.
William’s will left £114 (around £8200) to his widow Julia, who was by now living in Leeds, Yorkshire. At his request, however his war pension, however, was given to his aunt, Mrs Rose Rout, of Hull, Yorkshire.
Frederick Henry Couling was born in Lambeth, Surrey, on 15th October 1878. The oldest of five children, his parents were Frederick and Martha Couling. Frederick was a harness maker, and when he died in 1889, Martha was left to raise the family on her own. The 1891 census found she was living with her parents and Frederick’s sister Louisa, while he had moved in with his maternal aunt, Esther and her husband, fishmonger Frederick Dorey.
With his father dead and his schooling completed, Frederick was keen to find a better life for himself and, on 11th January 1894, he joined the Royal Navy. Just fifteen years of age at this point, he was given the rank of Boy 2nd Class, and sent to HMS Impregnable, the teaching ship in Devonport, Devon, for his training. By the end of the year he had been promoted to Boy 1st Class, and in the summer of 1895 he transferred to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent.
In September 1895, Frederick was assigned to the screw sloop ship HMS Icarus. She would remain his home for the next two years, and during this time he came of age, and was formally inducted into the Royal Navy. His service records from the time confirm that he was 5ft 6ins (1.67m) tall, had dark brown hair, brown eyes and a fresh complexion.
Ordinary Seaman Couling’s naval career didn’t get off to the best of starts. On 5th November – just three weeks after formally enlisting, he broke the terms of his leave and was sent to the brig for 42 days. He seems to have learnt his lesson from this point on, however, and the rest of his service was blemish-free.
Over the next eight years, Frederick would serve on eight ships, returning to HMS Pembroke in between assignments. In November 1899 he was promoted to Able Seaman, the rank he would hold for the rest of his naval career.
On 11th August 1905, Frederick was stood down to reserve status and returned to shore. The 1911 census found him living in rooms at 27 Fortescue Road, Colliers Wood, Surrey. Employed as a window cleaner, the document suggests he is married by this point. A later record gives his wife as Edith Annie Reeve, the daughter of a labourer from Kent.
When war broke out, Frederick was called upon to serve his country once more. Taking the rank of Able Seaman once more, he returned to HMS Pembroke. Over the next couple of years he remained on shore and, from the summer of 1915, was attached to HMS Vernon, a base in Portsmouth, Hampshire,
While there, Frederick became unwell. He returned to Chatham, and was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in the town. He was suffering from chronic mastoid disease – an inner ear infection – and this would ultimately take his life. He passed away on 4th July 1917, at the age of 38 years old.
The body of Frederick Henry Couling was laid to rest in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent, not far from the base he had called home for so long.
Death and Service 