Walter Charles Sparey was born on 3rd Aril 1890 in the Somerset town of Frome. He was a twin, and was one of a total of seven children to Walter and Susan Sparey. Walter Sr was a plasterer and tiler and the family lived on Culver Hill, to the south of the town centre, and next to the Girls’ Asylum Institute.
When he left school, Walter Jr – who was known as Charles, to avoid confusion with his father – found work as a grocer’s porter, while his twin, Henry, was employed as a labourer for the local brewery.
Europe was on the brink of war and, while full details of Charles’ military service are not available, some aspects are clear. He enlisted within weeks of war breaking out, joining the Somerset Light Infantry as a Private. By July 1915, he found himself on the Western Front in France.
Private Carey was caught up in the fighting and, on 3rd April 1916, received gun shot wounds in the back and shoulder. He seems to have recovered, but was dogged by lung and heart afflictions afterwards, and did not return to active duty. He was eventually discharged from military service on 15th August 1917.
Charles returned home, but the effects of his injuries eventually proved too much. He passed away on 1st March 1918, aged just 28 years old, and was laid to rest in the graveyard of Christ Church in his home town of Frome.
Cyril Starr Allen was born on 15th June 1891 in the village of Baughurst, near Tadley in Hampshire. He was the second youngest of five children to Charles and Martha Allen. Charles was a rate collector, and the family moved around the county during Cyril’s early years.
By the time Cyril left school, Charles had become an assistant bursar in Wootton, near Basingstoke. Cyril, meanwhile, had found similar administrative employment and was working as a clerk for a local land agent.
At the start of 1911, Cyril enlisted in the British Army. He joined the 4th Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment as a Private and was soon based on Salisbury Plain. His service records confirm that he was 19 years and 7 months old, and stood at 5ft 5ins (1.65m) tall. Private Allen served for his initial term of four years, before being remobilised.
In November 1915, Cyril married Mabel Young. She was a printer’s daughter from Wiltshire, and the couple married in Salisbury, before settling down in Frome, Somerset. They went on to have a child, a daughter they called Kathleen.
Remobilised in the autumn of 1915 Private Allen received a series of promotions – to Lance Corporal, Corporal, Lance Sergeant and Sergeant, and, by June 1917, he found himself at the Front.
On 22nd April 1918, Cyril was injured, sustaining gunshot wounds to his shoulder and left arm. He was invalided back to England for treatment, and was hospitalised in the north of the country. He was then transferred to the Royal Welch Fusiliers with the rank of Corporal and sent to Ireland to continue his recovery and work light duties.
While in Ireland, Corporal Allen contracted influenza and was admitted to the Buttevant Hospital in County Cork. Sadly, in his weakened state, it was something he was to succumb to, and he passed away, with Mabel at his bedside, on 15th November 1918. He was just 27 years of age.
Cyril Starr Allen’s body was brought back to England; he was laid to rest in the graveyard of Christ Church in Frome, Somerset.
Corporal Cyril Allen (from ancestry.co.uk)
After the loss of her husband, Mabel went on to live her life. In 1923, she married James Burr, a draughtsman from Frome; they went on to have a child – a brother for Kathleen – called James.
Cyril’s two brothers, Winthrop and Charles, also fought in the First World War.
(from ancestry.co.uk)
Winthrop had emigrated to North America in 1911, but returned to Europe as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force when war broke out.
Lance Corporal Charles Allen served with the 15th Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment. He fought on the Western Front and was killed near Kemmel Hill in Belgium on 4th September 1918. He was just 21 years old. Charles is commemorated at the Tyne Cot Memorial in Zonnebeke, Belgium.
Henry James Maidment – known as Harry – was born in Penarth, South Wales, in the autumn of 1890. He was one of seven children to Somerset-born Henry and Minnie Maidment. Henry Sr was a general labourer, and, when he died in 1899, Minnie remained in Penarth, earning money to support the family as a hawker of fruit.
By the time of the 1911 census, most of Minnie’s children were still living at home, with all but one of them working. Harry was employed as a van driver for a laundry, while his siblings were working variously as labourers, sailors and a housekeeper.
In the autumn of 1911, Harry married Annie Hillier, a servant who had been born in Yeovil, but who had also moved to South Wales. The couple went on to have a son, Henry, in October 1912, but he tragically passed away when he was just a couple of months old. They were not to have any other children.
War was coming to Europe by this point, and Harry was keen to play his part. He enlisted towards the end of 1914, joining the 1st Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry as a Private. He arrived in France at the beginning of May 1915, and would have seen fighting at Ypres that spring.
It seems that Private Maidment was wounded at Ypres; he was medically evacuated home and was admitted to the Graylingwell Hospital in Chichester, West Sussex. Details of his injuries are not available, but they must have been severe; he passed away from them on 23rd July 1915, aged just 25 years old.
Harry James Maidment’s body was brought back to Somerset; he was laid to rest in the graveyard of Christ Church, Frome, his parents’ home town, and where his widow, Annie was living.
Frederick Charles Crook was born in Frome, Somerset, in 1896 and was one of eleven children. His parents were Frank and Bessie Crook, and the family were raised in a house to the south of the town centre. Frank was a plasterer but sadly details of his son’s life are quite sketchy, so it’s not evident if this was a trade he followed his father into.
In the spring of 1912, Frederick married Wiltshire-born domestic servant Hannah Gerrish, a farm labourer’s daughter. The couple wed in Bradford-upon-Avon, and went on to have a daughter, Margaret, who was born in 1913.
Storm clouds were gathering over Europe, and, in November 1914, Frederick volunteered to play his part. He joined the Somerset Light Infantry, and was assigned to the 1st Battalion as a Private.
While it’s not possible to identify exactly where he served, Frederick would certainly have seen action on the Western Front: his battalion fought with the 4th Division at Ypres, The Somme and at Arras in the various phases of the conflict.
The ongoing conflict must have had an impact on Private Crook: he was medically discharged from military service with neurasthenia – a nervous breakdown – just weeks before the Armistice was signed. He returned to Frome, but it must have been too much: he passed away on 10th December 1918, at the age of just 22 years old.
Frederick Charles Crook was laid to rest in the graveyard of Christ Church, in his home town, Frome.
Edward Arthur James Pike was born in Frome, Somerset, in 1888, one of six children to Giles and Annie Pike. Giles was a carter and labourer, and this is something that Edward – who was known by his second name, Arthur – followed his father into.
Arthur later found employment with the local Cooperative Society, and his carting experience led him to work for a Mr Bynoth of Badcox, whose Somerset business later became a well-known local taxi and bus company. On 17th April 1911, Arthur married Ellen Emma Sheppard, a labourer’s daughter from nearby Longbridge Deverill.
War was coming to Europe, and Arthur enlisted when his time came in the autumn of 1917. He joined the Army Service Corps, and was assigned to the 12th Mechanical Transport Company on Salisbury Plain.
While serving, Private Pike quickly contracted rheumatic fever. He was admitted to the Fargo Military Hospital in Larkhill, but succumbed to the condition after three months on 28th March 1918. He was 30 years old.
Brought back to Frome, Edward Arthur James Pike was laid to rest in the graveyard of Christ Church.
John Hallett – better known as Jack – was born in the spring of 1891 in the Somerset town of Frome. One of twelve children, his parents were carpenter Frederick Hallett and his wife, Elizabeth. When he left school, Jack found work at a printer’s, helping with the typesetting.
War was approaching, and Jack was keen to do his bit. While full details of his military service are not available, it is clear that he enlisted as a Private in the Royal Irish Dragoon Guards. He served in France with the 4th Battalion, arriving there in October 1915.
A later report suggests that Private Hallett was “seriously wounded several times during the war” [Somerset Standard: Friday 30th January 1920], although no specific details are available about his injuries. He survived the conflict and was awarded the British and Victory Medals and the 1915 Star for his service.
Demobbed and back at home, it seems that John did not fully recover from his wounds. He was admitted to the Victoria Hospital in Frome in January 1920, and died there a matter of days later. He was just 28 years old.
John Hallett was laid to rest in the graveyard of Christ Church in his home town of Frome, Somerset.
The local newspaper gave a more detailed report on John’s funeral:
Ex-Soldier’s Death
The funeral took place yesterday afternoon at Christ Church of Mr John Hallett, aged 29, of The Butts, Frome, who passed away at the Victoria Hospital on Friday last. Deceased had been seriously wounded several times during the war, and a day or two ago was removed to the hospital. The Rev. J Howard Lewis conducted the service, which was attended by local Oddfellows, to which society the deceased belonged, and by a number of other representative mourners.
Thomas – better known as Tom – Singer was born in Frome, Somerset, in the summer of 1876, the youngest of seven children to John and Sophia Singer. John was a labourer on the railway, who sadly passed away when Tom was only three years old. Sophia was left to raise the family on her own, and she did so by taking in washing for other people (the 1891 census has her listed as a pauper, but she still managed to support her children). Sophia also died in 1892, meaning Tom was an orphan by the time he was just 16 years old.
Tom found work as an errand boy when he left school, although he soon moved on to labouring work. After Sophia’s death, he moved in with his brother Walter, who had also recently been widowed, and the money they brought in helped support Walter’s three children and pay for a housekeeper to do so.
On 21st July 1904, Tom married Edith Mary Bugler, a labourer’s daughter from nearby Selwood; the couple went on to have five children. With a growing family to support, Tom found new work as an ostler at the pub in Witham Friary, to the south of Frome.
War was coming to Europe, and Tom was called upon to do his duty. Full details of his service are not available, sadly, but it is clear that he enlisted as a Private in the Somerset Light Infantry at some point before the summer of 1916.
Private Singer was sent to France in November 1916, but fell ill soon afterwards. He was medically evacuated back to England and admitted to hospital, where he underwent an operation. Sadly, he did not recover, and passed away on 14th February 1917, at the age of 40 years old.
Tom Singer was laid to rest in the graveyard of Christ Church in his home town of Frome.
Robert Anderson was born on 4th September 1889, one of ten children – of whom tragically only three survived – to James and Emily Anderson. James was a storekeeper from Belfast, who had moved his family to Preston, Lancashire, but who had subsequently moved them back to Northern Ireland after Robert had been born.
In 1911, while working as a town labourer, Robert had met and married Rebecca Barkley; the couple went on to have to children, Mary and Agnes.
War was coming to Europe, however, and Robert was keen to play his part. He enlisted in the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles and, according to a subsequent newspaper report, saw action at Mons and the Marne early in the conflict.
The Belfast Evening Telegraph reported that “He completed his time, and instead of re-enlisting in the Army, he joined the Navy.” [Thursday 4th October 1917] Given that Robert enlisted in the Royal Navy in the autumn of 1915, this raises the question of how he left the army at the height of the conflict, particularly given that the same report suggests that he had come through the major battles “unscathed“.
Either way, Private Anderson made the move to Stoker 2nd Class on 10th November 1915. He record show that he stood 5ft 5.5ins (1.66m) tall, had fair hair, brown eyes and a fresh complexion. On his arms he sported a number of tattoos; a lady, crossed flags and a ship on his right, and his initials on the left.
Robert’s first posting was HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham, Kent, where he received a couple of months’ training. He was then assigned to HMS Egremont, also known as Fort St Angelo in Birgu, Malta, where he spent a couple of months. Stoker Anderson then returned to England, serving at HMS Victory, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Portsmouth, and gaining a promotion to Stoker 1st Class in the process.
By August 1917, he had returned to HMS Pembroke. The Dockyard was particularly busy that summer, and the large number of extra servicemen meant that Robert was billeted in temporary accommodation in Chatham Drill Hall.
On the 3rd September 1917, the first night air raid carried out by the German Air Force bombarded the town, and scored a direct hit on the Drill Hall; Stoker 1st Class Anderson was among those killed instantly. He was a day short of his 28th birthday.
Robert Anderson was laid to rest, along with the other victims of the Chatham Air Raid, in the Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham.
Stoker 1st Class Robert Anderson (from findagrave.com)
William Alfred Littlewood was born on 19th April 1882, the oldest of four children to Henry and Mary. Henry was a labourer for the gasworks in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and the couple raised their family in the town.
William also found work with the local gasworks, and this is who he was employed by when, on 19th December 1903, he married Evelyn Harriet Youman. The couple set up home near the centre of the town, and went on to have four children.
When war broke out, William was keen to play his part. On 17th August 1914, he enlisted as a Private in the Army Service Corps and, within a couple of week, was in France. He spent six months on the Western Front, before returning to home soil. The reason for this return to England was an inflammation of the middle ear, and the resulting deafness led to his discharge from the army in June 1915.
William was not to be deterred, however, and within a matter of weeks, he had enlisted again, this time volunteering for the Royal Naval Reserve as a Deck Hand. Over the next two years, he served on a number of different ships, each time returning to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent.
In August 1917, Deck Hand Littlewood disembarked HMS Acteon, and returned to his shore base. The Dockyard was particularly busy that summer, and the large number of extra servicemen meant that William was billeted in temporary accommodation in Chatham Drill Hall.
On the 3rd September 1917, the first night air raid carried out by the German Air Force bombarded the town, and scored a direct hit on the Drill Hall; Deck Hand Littlewood was among those killed instantly. He was 35 years of age.
William Alfred Littlewood was laid to rest, along with the other victims of the Chatham Air Raid, in the Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham. Tragically, the Navy Death Records state that he was Buried as unidentified in one of the following graves: 516, 522, 642, 735, 935, 937 or 948.
Thomas George Willcocks was born on 18th April 1882, in the Devon village of Chudleigh Knighton. The oldest of five children, his parents were William Willcocks and his wife Emma. William worked as a clay cutter, and this was a trade Thomas followed when he left school.
By 1899, Thomas had met Sophy Gale, a clay cutter’s daughter from nearby Hennock; the couple married and had a daughter, Violet. Thomas was also working as a cutter, and moved into his in-laws house to start raising his young family.
Life can be cruel: the 1911 census shows that Thomas and Sophy had moved to Chudleigh Knighton – where Sophy was originally from. Violet had, by this point, sadly passed away; Thomas’ brother-in-law, Albert, had moved in with the couple to help pay their way.
War was coming to Europe and, although full details of Thomas’ service no longer remain, it is possible to piece together some of his time in the army.
Private Willcocks enlisted in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry at some point before January 1917, although he soon transferred across to the Hampshire Regiment. His battalion – the 15th – were moved to France in the summer of 1916, and it seems that Thomas was caught up in a gas attack, while in the trenches of the Western Front.
Private Willcocks’ health deteriorated and he was medically evacuated back to the UK for treatment. He was admitted to the Red Cross Hospital in Glasgow, but reports are confused – some identify the impact of the gas on his lungs, while others suggest he was suffering from rheumatism and trench fever. Regardless of the cause, he passed away on 23rd July 1917 at the age of 35 years old.
The body of Thomas George Willcocks was brought back to Devon for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Paul’s Church in Chudleigh Knighton.
Thomas’ brother in law, Albert, also died as a result of the First World War; he lies in the grave next to Thomas. His story can be found here.
Thomas’ neighbour was Alfred Moist. He also lies in the same churchyard and his story can be found here.
Death and Service 