Tag Archives: 1919

Commonwealth War Graves, Corporal, Devon, Devonshire Regiment, Egypt, Great War, history, India, Lance Corporal, photography, Private, story, unknown, war

Corporal Bruce Chapple

Leave a comment
Corporal Bruce Chapple

Bruce Chapple was born in the autumn of 1893, the youngest of four children to Frederick and Elizabeth Chapple. Frederick was born in Newton Abbot and ran the managed a public house in the town (now the Locomotive Inn), although the 1901 census also listed him as a tobacco pipe manufacturer.

According to the next census – in 1911 – Bruce had taken over the pipe making, which meant that Frederick was devoting his time to being a publican. By this time, Bruce had another interest; military service. He had volunteered for the Devonshire Regiment in October 1909 and, over the next few years, the 5ft 3.5ins (1.61m) tall teenager received training in and around the county.

When war broke out in 1914, Private Chapple was formally enrolled and, as part of the 1st/5th Battalion, he set out for India that October. Initially based in Multan – in what is now Pakistan – he subsequently moved on to Lahore.

Bruce spent a total of two-and-a-half years in India, receiving a promotion to Lance Corporal in the process. In March 1917, his battalion transferred to Egypt, and the now Corporal Chapple went with them.

On 23rd November, Bruce was wounded in action, receiving a gun shot wound to his left thigh; he was not medically repatriated for treatment, but appears to have recovered from his injury and remained in Egypt until July 1918.

Back home in England, Corporal Chapple remained in the army for a further couple of months, before he was discharged as being no longer medically fit for service in September. Sadly, the cause for his discharge is lost to time.

It is at this point that Bruce’s trail goes cold. The next available record is of his death, on 16th November 1919; he was 26 years old.

Bruce Chapple was laid to rest in the family plot in Newton Abbot Cemetery.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, illness, Leading Stoker, Petty Officer, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, unknown, war

Stoker Petty Officer Oliver Marchant

Leave a comment
Stoker Petty Officer Oliver Marchant

Oliver Marchant was born in Beaminster, Dorset, on 21st September 1874. One of eight children, his parents were agricultural labourer William Marchant and his wife Hannah. Oliver’s parents had been born in Devon, and this is where they moved the family back to.

When he left school, Oliver and his older sister found work as a farm hands. They were employed at Compton Pool Farm, and were fortunate enough to be able to live in. Oliver ended up working on the farm for three years, becoming a groom in the process. A more secure career beckoned, however, and, on 11th January 1894, he enlisted as a Stoker 2nd Class in the Royal Navy.

Oliver’s service records show that he signed up for a period of twelve years. He was 5ft 4ins (1.62m) tall, had dark hair, brown eyes and a ruddy complexion. He was initially posted to HMS Vivid – the Royal Naval Base in Devonport – but soon found himself at sea on board HMS Endymion. He spent a year on board and, during this time, was promoted to Stoker 1st Class.

Over the remaining period of his service, Oliver served on five further vessels, returning each time to HMD Vivid as his base. His hard work paid off, and he was promoted to Leading Stoker and Petty Officer Stoker by the time he renewed his service contract in 1906.

During his time in between sea voyages, Oliver met Alice Honeywill; the couple married in August 1904 and set up home in Newton Abbot. They did not go on to have any children.

Back at sea, and over the next eleven years, Stoker Petty Officer Marchant served on a further eight vessels. In between times, he was based at the barracks in Devonport, and it was here that he returned in November 1917, when he fell ill.

Oliver had contracted tuberculosis and, after a short time in hospital, he was discharged from the Royal Naval on medical grounds, as the condition had rendered him no longer fit enough undertake his work. He returned home to Newton Abbot.

At this point, Oliver Marchant’s trail goes cold. He passed away at his home in Newton Abbot on 4th January 1919, at the age of 44 years old. While the cause is not recorded, it seems likely to have been the result of his lung condition. He was laid to rest in the town’s cemetery.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, photography, Private, Royal Marines, story, unknown, war

Private George Smale

Leave a comment
Private George Smale

George Henry Smale was born in 1899 and was the oldest of four children to George and Alice Smale. George Sr was born in Tavistock, Devon, and worked as a labourer in a tannery. The family were raised in Newton Abbot, which is where George Jr was born.

Sadly, little is documented on young George’s life. He would have been 15 years old when war broke out, but at some point during the conflict, he enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry. Private Smale was based at the Stonehouse Barracks in Plymouth, but no other information about his service is available.

George’s trail goes completely cold at this point, and there is nothing to confirm how or when he left the army, or how he died. All that can be confirmed is that he passed away on 3rd November 1919, and that he was just 20 years old at the time.

George Henry Smale was laid to rest in Newton Abbot Cemetery.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Devonshire Regiment, Great War, history, illness, Labour Corps, Lance Corporal, photography, Private, story, unknown, war

Private James Flood

Leave a comment
Private James Flood

James Allan Flood was born in Exeter, Devon, in 1879, and was the oldest of six children to James and Emily. James Sr was a bricklayer, and, according to the 1881 census, the family lived at 2 Stepcote Hill, sharing the house with two other families.

When he left school, James Jr also fell into labouring work. By this time he had met Amy Hobbs, a hotel worker’s daughter who had been born in London. Her father had moved from Devon to the city in the 1870s, but had brought his family back to his home county by 1885.

James and Amy married in the village of Wolborough in December 1899. They set up home in nearby Newton Abbot and went on to have five children.

The storm clouds of war were beginning to hover over Europe and, when the conflict broke out, James was keen to play his part. He enlisted within days of war being declared, joining the Devonshire Regiment as a Private. His service records show that he stood 5ft 6ins (1.68m) tall, and weighed 112lbs (51kg). He had a tattoo of a crown and heart on his right forearm.

Private Flood found himself in France by Christmas 1914 and stayed there for more than a year. During this time, he was promoted to Lance Corporal, although, as a result of missing a role call, he reverted back to Private again a couple of months later.

After a brief two months spent back on home soil, James returned to France again, spending a further ten months on the Western Front. In March 1917, he was transferred across to the Labour Corps, and came back to home soil again.

This transfer appears to have been connected to James’ health; he continued to work as part of 621st Agricultural Company for the next eighteen months, before being discharged from the army on medical grounds in September 1918. Sadly, the cause of his discharge is lost to time.

At this point, James Allen Flood’s trail goes cold. The next time he appears in documentation is nearly a year later: he passed away on 17th August 1919, aged 40. He was laid to rest at the Newton Abbot Cemetery.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Devonshire Regiment, Great War, Guernsey, history, Labour Corps, photography, Private, story, unknown, Wales, war

Private William Lamacraft

Leave a comment
Private William Lamacraft

William Morrish Lamacraft was born in Guernsey in 1888, the only son of John and Annie Lamacraft. Annie passed away when William was just 4 years old, and John brought his son back to England, returning to Devon, where he himself had been born. John found employment as a porter at St Thomas’ Union Workhouse in Exeter and lived in here, while William was taken in by his paternal grandmother, Mary, who was also in Exeter.

In 1909, John also passed away. William, by this time, had left school and found work as a bootman at the Queen’s Hotel in Newport, Gwent. War was on its way to Europe by this point and, when it broke out, William enlisted as a Private in the Labour Corps.

At some point William transferred across to the Devonshire Regiment, but there is little tangible evidence to document when and where he served. What is clear is that Private Lamacraft survived the war, and had returned to Newton Abbot when he was demobbed.

Sadly, William Morrish Lamacraft was not to live a long life after the Armistice was declared. He passed away on 6th June 1919, aged just 31 years old; the cause of death lost to time. He was laid to rest in Newton Abbot Cemetery.

Border Regiment, Colour Sergeant, Commonwealth War Graves, Corporal, Great War, history, illness, Lancashire, Middlesex Regiment, photography, Sergeant, Somerset, story, war

Colour Sergeant John Paulin

Leave a comment
Colour Sergeant John Paulin

John Duncan Paulin was born in January 1885 in Liverpool, the youngest of two children. His parents – John Robert (known by his middle name) and Jane Paulin – were born in Scotland, but seemed to have moved to the Lancashire port by the late 1870s.

When he left school, John – who became known as Jack – found work as a clerk, but a life of adventure – and a more reliable career – beckoned. On 14th August 1904, he enlisted in the Border Regiment as a Private for a period of seven years. During that time, he served in barracks across the country – from Carlisle to Plymouth – and, by the time he was put on reserve in 1911, he had reached the rank of Corporal.

When war was declared, those servicemen on reserve were called back into action, and Jack found himself reposted with an increased rank of Sergeant. Over the next few years, he remained based in England and seemed to take on more of a training role, transferring to the Middlesex Regiment and, by the end of 1917, attaining the rank of Colour Sergeant.

At some point Jack met Ethel May Smith, who lived in Frome, Somerset. She was the same age as Jack, and was the daughter of the foreman of one of the cloth manufacturers in the town – she also went on to work in the factory. The couple married in St John’s Church in the town on 1st June 1916, but did not go on to have any children.

Colour Sergeant Paulin’s military career was free of any medical issues or hospital admissions until February 1919. He had not been demobbed by this point, even though the war was over. However, as with many other servicemen at the time, Jack fell ill with influenza, and was admitted to Grove Military Hospital (now St George’s Hospital) in Tooting, South London. Pneumonia set in, and Jack passed away on 12th February 1919, at the age of 34 years old.

Jack Duncan Paulin’s body was brought back to Somerset, and he was laid to rest in the graveyard of Christ Church, Frome. Ethel lived on until 1978; she was laid to rest with her husband.

Coldstream Guards, Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, Guardsman, history, illness, London, photography, story, unknown, war

Guardsman Alfred Moist

1 Comment
Guardsman Alfred Moist

Alfred Charles Moist was born early in 1887 in the Devon village of Chudleigh Knighton. His parents were William and Mary Moist, and he was the youngest of eight children. William was a clay miner and his neighbours – who included the young Thomas Willcocks – all worked in the same trade.

William died in 1899, leaving Mary to raise the family alone. By the time of the 1901 census, her widowed daughter Emma had moved back in with her son, and was working from home as a dressmaker. Alfred, meanwhile, and his two older brothers Frank and Reginald were all employed as brick dressers and together they earned enough to keep the family going.

The next census – compiled in 1911 – found Alfred still living with Mary, but the household had a different set up. Emma had remarried and was living in nearby Ilsington with her publican husband. Another of Alfred’s sisters, Bessie, had moved in with her daughter, Florence, and was keeping house for her mother. Reginald was also still living at home and was still employed by the brickyard. Alfred, however, had found now work as a police constable.

Mary passed away in the spring of 1913, by which point, Alfred had met Edith Mary Sampson, a labourer’s daughter from North Devon. The couple married in Broadhempston, near Totnes, on 21st November 1913.

War came to Europe, and Alfred enlisted in December 1915. His job in the police force, however, meant that he was initially placed on reserve, and he was not formally mobilised until April 1918, when he joined the Coldstream Guards. His enlistment papers show that he stood 5ft 11ins (1.8m) tall and weighed in at 10st 4lbs (65kg).

Guardsman Moist was barracked in London, but fell ill in September 1918. He was admitted to the Queen Alexandra Military Hospital with a haematoma and renal calculus (kidney stones). He spent a total of four months in hospital before being discharged back to duty.

At this point, Alfred’s trail goes cold. The next record for him comes in the form of the record of his death, which was registered in Hampstead, London. This suggests that he was either still in the Coldstream Guards or that he had been hospitalised again because of his previous illness. Either way, he died on 28th August 1919, at the age of 32 years old.

Alfred Charles Moist’s body was brought back to Devon. He lies at rest in the Graveyard of St Paul’s Church in his home village of Chudleigh Knighton.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, injury, photography, Private, Royal Army Medical Corps, Somerset, story, war

Private Charlie Badman

Leave a comment
Private Charlie Badman

Charles Badman – better known as Charlie – was born in 1895 in the Somerset seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. His parents were stonemason Henry Badman and his wife Caroline.

Unfortunately, there is little documented information about Charlie’s early life. By the time of the 1911 census, the family were living in a terraced house in Clevedon Road, Weston-super-Mare, a short distance from the sea. Charlie’s four oldest brothers had left home by this point, but his other two siblings – his dressmaker sister Martha and his plasterer brother Arthur – were still living with their parents. Charlie, at this point, was still at school.

When war was declared, Charlie was keen to do his bit. He enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and was assigned to the 65th Field Ambulance as a Private. This section was connected to the 21st Division, which saw action on the Western Front at Loos, the Somme, Arras, Passchendaele and Cambrai, although it is not possible to determine how Private Badman was involved in these battles. He was awarded, however, the Victory and British Medals for his service.

The only other concrete information available for Charlie is the inscription on his gravestone. This confirms that he was wounded in France on 7th September 1918. It seems that he was medically evacuated to England, and was admitted to a military hospital in Bristol, not far from his family in Somerset.

Sadly, it seems that his wounds proved too severe; he died at the hospital five months later, on 4th February 1919, aged just 25 years old.

Charlie Badman was brought back to Weston-super-Mare for burial. He lies at rest in the Milton Road Cemetery in the town.

Boatswain, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, photography, Royal Navy, story, unknown, war

Boatswain Jeremiah Lane

Leave a comment
Boatswain Jeremiah Lane

Jeremiah Lane is one of those names that is sadly to be lost to the annuls of time, as there is just not enough information about him readily available to definitively map out his life.

Buried in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent, his gravestone confirms that he was a Boatswain in the Royal Navy and was serving on HMS Marlborough. He died on 12th February 1919.

Jeremiah’s Pension Ledger Card confirms he left a widow, Mrs BM Lane, but gives no other information. The Navy Medal Roll shows he was awarded the British and Victory Medals and the 1914/15 Star for his service. The Navy Lists show that he attained the rank of Boatswain on 25th October 1918.

There are naval records for a Jeremiah Lane; these show that he was born in Queenstown, Cork, in 1879, and that he joined the Royal Navy in 1898. He had reached the rank of Petty Officer before leaving the service in 1912. The may be the same sailor, but there is nothing to directly link the two.

Sadly, then, the life of this serviceman, who gave his life for peace, is destined to be lost forever.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Ireland, Kent, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class James Kilmartin

Leave a comment
Stoker 1st Class James Kilmartin

James Kilmartin was born on 24th June 1894, one of four children to James and Mary Kilmartin. James Sr was a farmer from Tobercurry in County Sligo, and this is where he raised his family.

When he left school, James Jr helped his father out on the farm, but by the time he was 22, war was raging in Europe and he received his call-up papers. He joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 11th April 1916 and was sent to England for training.

After initially being based at HMS Pembroke – the shore-based establishment at the Naval Dockyard in Chatham – Stoker Kilmartin was assigned to HMS Greenwich. He served on board for nine months, during which time he was promoted to Stoker 1st Class.

James’ next assignment was on board HMS Bacchante, where he spent two years, through the Armistice and beyond. Returning back to HMS Pembroke in February 1919, he fell ill, contracting bronchial pneumonia. Admitted to hospital, the condition sadly got the better of him, and he died on 24th February 1919, aged just 24 years of age.

James Kilmartin was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, a short walk from the dockyard at which he had been based.

Tragically, less than two weeks after James died, his brother Michael, also passed away, at home in Tobercurry. While I have been unable to locate any specific documentation around military service, it seems likely that he too would have been in some way involved in the conflict.