Tag Archives: Devon

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Devonshire Regiment, Great War, history, illness, photography, Private, story, war

Private Herbert Kingdon

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Private Herbert Kingdon

Born in the spring of 1872, Herbert James Kingdon was the ninth of ten children to George and Elizabeth. George was an agricultural labourer from the Devon village of George Nympton, it was here that the family was born and raised.

George died in 1900, at the age of 72, from this point on, Elizabeth also disappears from the records. In the spring of 1900, Herbert, now also a farm labourer, married Elizabeth – or Bessie – Speed. She was a farmworker’s daughter from South Molton, just two miles to the north. The couple set up home close to where Herbert had been living, and would go on to have five children by the time war was declared: Frederick, Florence, Frank, Annie and Herbert Jr.

George Nympton was a small village, and most of Herbert’s siblings remained close. The 1911 census found Herbert and Bessie living in the village, next door to Bessie’s parents who appear to have moved closer to support their daughter’s family. Three of their four children now old enough to attend the local school, while Herbert was still doing farm work, alongside his father-in-law, George Speed, and his brother-in-law, Fred.

When war broke out, Herbert stepped up to play his part. His full service records are no longer available, but the documents that do still exist suggest that he had enlisted by the start of 1917. Joining the Devonshire Regiment, he was assigned to the No. 4 Agricultural Company, and remained on home soil. By this point, Bessie had had a sixth child, Edward, and it is likely that she needed all the help she could get. With her husband remaining close by, and with her parents still living next door, she seems to have been supported.

By the summer of 1917, Private Kingdon had become unwell, and was suffering from a combination of pneumonia and pleurisy. Convalescing at home, the conditions were to get the better of him: he passed away on 27th June 1917, at the age of 45 years old.

Herbert James Kingdon was laid to rest in the graveyard of St George’s Church, George Nympton, in sight of his former home.

Bessie was pregnant when her husband passed: she gave birth on 13th January 1918, to a baby girl, Mary.

Bessie would only outlive her husband by five years. The last record for her is the 1921 census, when she was living in the family home with five of her children, and her parents, now in their mid-60s, living next door.

Canada, Canadian Infantry, Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, Hampshire, history, illness, injury, Kent, photography, Private, Sergeant, story, Surrey, war

Sergeant James Gard

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Sergeant James Gard

James Gard was born on 8th March 1889 in the Devon village of Rose Ash. One of fourteen children, he was the fourth of six sons to George and Mary Gard. George was a poultry dealer, but when both he and Mary died within two months of each other in 1897, their children were suddenly left as orphans.

The 1901 census found 12-year-old James visiting the Cole family, farmers who lived a few miles away in Bishops Nympton. James’ older brother Philip had plans, however, and in 1907, the two of them set out for a new life in Canada.

Boarding the SS Saxonia in Liverpool, they arrived in Boston with 50s (approx. £390 in today’s money) between them. Their final destination was to be Winnipeg in Manitoba, but the soon moved further north, setting up neighbouring homes in the town of Fisher Branch.

Both siblings found farming work, but when war broke out in Europe, James stepped up to play his part. On 24th February 1916 he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and was assigned to the Canadian Infantry. His service records show that he was 6ft (1.83m) tall and weighed 155lbs (70.3kg). He had dark brown hair, blue eyes and a ruddy complexion.

Private Gard set sail for Britain within a matter of weeks, arriving in Shorncliffe, Kent, on 12th May 1916. His unit – the 44th Battalion – moved to their base in Bramshott, Hampshire, and this is where he would receive his training.

James’ unit was involved in the fighting at the Somme and Ancre, and his commitment was rewarded when, on 20th January 1917, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Just days later, however, he was badly injured.

A high explosive shell exploded near Sergeant Gard that day, bursting both of his eardrums. Initially treated on site, he was medically evacuated to Britain for treatment, and was admitted to the Military Hospital in Tooting, Surrey. He developed mastoiditis in both ears, and this, combined with septicaemia, lead to his ultimate death. He passed away on 1st April 1917, at the age of 28 years of age.

The body of James Gard was taken back to Devon for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Peter’s Church in his home village, Rose Ash.

Sergeant James Gard
(from findagrave.com)
Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, illness, injury, photography, Private, Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Field Artillery, story, war

Private Albert Chapple

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Private Albert Chapple

Albert Chapple was born early in 1895, and was the son of Elizabeth Chapple. She was just 16 years of age when he was born, and her parents, John and Sarah, unofficially adopted him as their own. John was a church sexton from the village of Knowstone, Devon, and this is where the Chapple family were raised.

Elizabeth married William Dart, a fishmonger from Dawlish, in 1909, and by the time of the census two years later, they had set up home in Beach Street, close to the town’s railway station.

Albert, meanwhile, was still living with his grandparents back in Knowstone. John, now 66 years of age, was employed as an agricultural labourer, while his grandson was working as a cattle boy on the same farm.

When war broke out, Albert was called upon to play his part. Sadly, full details of his military service have been lost, but it is clear that he had enlisted by June 1916. He enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Private, with his entry in the British Army of Soldiers’ Effects suggesting that his unit was attached to the 2nd/1st Wessex Field Artillery.

Private Chapple’s pension record confirms that he had been admitted to the 2nd Western General Hospital in Exeter, Devon. He passed away on 10th December 1916, following an operation, although the document gives no clue as to why he had needed surgery. He was just 21 years of age.

Albert Chapple’s body was taken back to Knowstone for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Peter’s Hospital in the village.

The next census return, taken in 1921, found Elizabeth and William still plying their trade in fish in Dawlish. By this point, they had had a son, Edmund, who was five years old. Elizabeth’s sister, Rosie, was living with them, and assisting in the business.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Devonshire Regiment, Great War, Hampshire, history, illness, photography, Private, story, war

Private Gilbert Nott

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Private Gilbert Nott

Gilbert Charles Nott was born in the autumn of 1895, and was the older of two children to William and Eleanor. William was a plumber and ironmonger from Bampton in Devon, and this is where the family were born and raised.

For the whole of Gilbert’s life, the Notts lived on Brook Street in the centre of the town. The 1901 census found the family at numbers 9 and 10, while the 1911 record confirmed they had moved up the road to number 7 Brook Street. At this point, however, Gilbert was recorded as living with his widowed maternal grandmother, Eleanor Besley. At 15 years of age, he was working, and was employed as a bookkeeper at the Bampton Lime & Stone Company.

When war broke out across Europe, Gilbert was called upon to play his part. He enlisted after December 1915, and was assigned to the 3rd/4th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. Sent to Hursley Park near Winchester, Hampshire, for training, his time in the army was to be brief.

In the spring of 1916, he was admitted to the Victoria Hospital in Winchester, passing away there on 3rd May. The cause of his death is not readily confirmed, but his sparse service records suggest that he died from ‘disease’. He was just 20 years of age.

At the family’s request, the body of Gilbert Charles Nott was taken back to Devon for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Michael’s Church in Bampton, the church in which he had been baptised just two decades before.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, illness, New Zealand, New Zealand Rifle Brigade, photography, Rifleman, story, war, Wiltshire

Rifleman Frederick Keys

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Rifleman Frederick Keys

Frederick Charles Keys was born in Dunedin, New Zealand on 15th January 1882. The third of eight children, his parents were Benjamin and Annie Keys.

There is little information about Frederick’s early life. When he finished his schooling, it is likely that he found work as an agricultural labourer, and this is the job he was doing when war broke out.

As so many of his countrymen were to be, Frederick was called upon to serve his empire. He signed up in Christchurch on the country’s South Island, enlisting on 27th July 1916. He have his job as a farm hand, and his address as Silver Grid, a boarding house and billiard saloon on the city’s Manchester Street.

Frederick’s medical report confirms that he was 5ft 6ins (1.68m) tall and weighed 136lbs (61.7kg). He had fair hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion. He was noted as being a very suitable man for the army.

Assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, Rifleman Keys embarked for Europe from Wellington on 15th November 1916. Two-and-a-half months later, his ship – the Tahiti – arrived in Devonport, Devon, and the New Zealand troops marched on to their final destination, the ANZAC camps just outside Codford, Wiltshire.

Frederick would spend the next few months training in the camp, although his time there was not without incident. On 31st March 1917, he was docked two days’ pay for ‘being in a crowd some members of which were gambling’. It is not clear whether Frederick himself was gambling, but given his last residence in New Zealand, it is unlikely that he wasn’t immune to chancing the odds.

Two weeks later, Rifleman Keys was admitted to the 3rd New Zealand General Hospital near the camp. He was suffering from pleurisy, but any treatment was to prove too late. He passed away from the condition on 15th April 1917: he was 35 years of age.

Frederick Charles Keys was laid to rest in St Mary’s Churchyard, Codford, in a new extension added for the fallen ANZAC troops.

Australia, Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, illness, London, New Zealand, New Zealand Auckland Regiment, photography, Private, story, war, Wiltshire

Private Francis Holland

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Private Francis Holland

Francis Arthur Holland was born in Maryborough, Victoria, Australia, the fifth of seven children to Matthew and Elizabeth. Details of his early life are lost to time, although a later document confirms his date of birth as 19th July 1887.

Matthew died in 1901, and the New South Wales Police Gazette of 16th February 1910 included a request seeking a missing person:

Francis Arthur Holland, 22 years of age, 6feet high, about 13 stone weight, dark complexion; a sleeper-getter or labourer. Inquiry at the instance of his brother, James Holland, Bradshaw’s College, 250 Flinders-street, Melbourne, Victoria.

The 2nd March edition of the same publication noted that Francis had been found.

By 1916, Francis had moved to New Zealand, and was working as a bushman at the Grosvenor Hotel, New Plymouth. It was while here that he was called upon to serve in the war, and he enlisted on 29th June 1916 in Trentham, North Island. His service records confirm his height, and give his weight as 174lbs (78.9kg). It also noted that he had brown hair, hazel eyes and a fair complexion. He had a scar across the based of his right foot, and another on the left side of his throat.

Private Holland was assigned to the New Zealand Auckland Regiment, and his unit spend the next few months training. On 22nd September 1916, Francis was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal, but reverted to his previous rank just a matter of weeks later. On 11th October, his unit boarded a ship and set sail for Europe.

Francis arrived in Plymouth, Devon, on 29th December, and set off for France just over a month later. His unit would serve on the Western Front, and, within a matter of months, Private Holland was admitted to field ambulance hospitals twice, for an undisclosed illness in May 1917, and a sprained ankle in June.

This second injury led to a transfer to Britain, and from here on in Francis’ health become more and more impacted. Admitted to hospital in London, he developed tonsillitis and, as he was recovering from this, he was moved again, this time to the ANZAC military camp near Codford, Wiltshire.

While in the camp hospital, it was determined that Private Holland was suffering from a heart infection, endocarditis. Sadly, his health had been tested to the limits by this point, and this was the condition to which he would succumb. Francis passed away on 6th September 1917, at the age of 30 years old.

Having been born in Australia, emigrated to New Zealand and fought on the Western Front, Francis Arthur Holland was now thousands of miles from wherever he might call home. He was laid to rest in the extension to St Mary’s Churchyard in Codford, not far from the camp in which he had spent his last days.

Private Francis Holland
(from findagrave.com)
Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, illness, New Zealand, New Zealand Engineers, photography, Sapper, story, war, Wiltshire

Sapper Charles Salisbury

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Sapper Charles Salisbury

Charles Salisbury was born in Helensville, New Zealand, on 23rd June 1885. The fifth of six children, his parents were James and Sarah Salisbury.

Little information is available about Charles’ early life, but by his 20s he had found work as a linesman, working his way up to foreman. In April 1914 he married Nora Fiori: the couple settled in Onehunga, and had two children: Pauline had been born in 1907, and sister Catherine followed in 1911.

When war broke out in Europe, the British Empire called upon its own to step up and serve. Charles enlisted on 9th April 1916, joining the 15th Division of New Zealand Signallers, itself part of the New Zealand Engineers. His service records show that he was 31 years of age, 5ft 9ins (1.65m) tall and weighed 154lbs (69.9kg). He was noted as having dark hair, blue eyes and a dark complexion.

Sapper Salisbury’s unit left Wellington for Britain on 28th July 1916. The voyage on board the ship Waitemata took ten weeks, Charles setting foot on solid ground again in Devonport, Devon, in October. From there the battalion moved to its base near Codford, in Wiltshire.

Charles would spend the next six months in camp, presumably in preparation for a move to the continent. Sadly for Charles, however, he was not to see any action away from Britain. On 27th May 1917 he was admitted to the camp hospital, suffering from a cerebral haemorrhage: he died the following day. Sapper Salisbury was 31 years of age.

Charles Salisbury was laid to rest in the newly consecrated ANZAC extension to St Mary’s Churchyard in Codford, not far from the troops encampment.

Sapper Charles Salisbury
(from findagrave.com)
Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, photography, Royal Navy, Staffordshire, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class Joseph Ward

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Stoker 1st Class Joseph Ward

Joseph Ward was born in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, on 13th January 1890. The four of five children – all boys – his parents were William and Caroline. William was a coal miner-turned-weighman, but Joseph found work as a riveter when he completed his schooling.

It seems that Joseph sought any employment to avoid going down the mines, and, on 26th August 1910, he enlisted in the Royal Navy. His service records show that he was 5ft 3ins (1,6m) tall, with brown hair, grey eyes and a sallow complexion. He was also noted as having a dot or mole on the back of this left forearm and another on the back of his left hand.

Joseph was given the rank of Stoker 2nd Class, and was sent to HMS Vivid, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Devonport, Devon, for training. This would be his base of operations, and he would return there a number of times in the coming years.

On 4th January 1911, Stoker Ward was given his first posting, on board the armoured cruiser HMS Cumberland. he remained on board for more than two-and-a-half years, and gained a promotion to Stoker 1st Class during this time.

In October 1913, Joseph returned to Devonport, remaining on shore for more than three months. His service record notes he was confined to the Dockyard Sick Quarters for three days, although the cause is not given. In January 1914, he returned to sea again, on board another cruiser, HMS Highflyer. This would prove another lengthy assignment, and Stoker Ward would not return to HMS Vivid for more than three years.

During his short spell ashore, Joseph returned to Staffordshire. He married Lily Wright, a tailoress from Wednesbury. Their honeymoon was brief, however, and he was given a new assignment.

Stoker Ward was attached to HMS Valkyrie, a newly commissioned destroyer attached to the Harwich Force. On 22nd December 1917, she was escorting a convoy to the Netherlands when she struck a mine. Twelve of the crew – including Joseph – were killed, while a further seven subsequently succumbed to their injuries. The Valkyrie was towed to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, for repairs.

Joseph Ward was 27 years of age when he was killed. He was laid to rest in the naval section of Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, not far from the Kent naval base.

Tragically, Lily was pregnant when her husband was killed. On 25th February 1918, she gave birth to their child, Flora, the daughter Joseph would never know.

Australia, Australian Infantry, Commonwealth War Graves, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Great War, history, illness, photography, Private, story, war, Wiltshire

Private Harry Holder

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Private Harry Holder

Harry Holder was born in the village of Ludgvan, Cornwall, in the summer of 1885. The oldest of fourteen children, his parents were Harry and Grace Holder. Harry Sr was a market gardener, and his oldest son was to follow in his footsteps.

By the time of the 1911 census, the Holders had moved to Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Settling in a seven-room house in Leckhampton Road, the household of eleven people had six wages coming in, split between market gardening for the men and floristry for the women.

The following year, Harry Sr took his family on the long journey to Australia for a new life. They found work on a farm near Perth, and Harry Jr was employed as an agricultural labourer when war broke out. When the call came, he stepped up to play his part and his service records suggest that he had spent four years in the territorial army back in Britain. Harry had been turned down for service because of the state of his teeth just a month before trying to enlist again. The second time, however, he was successful, and he joined the Australian Imperial Force on 13th September 1916.

Private Holder’s medical report confirmed the man he had become. At 31 years of age, he was 5ft 10.5ins (1.79m) tall, and weighed 140lbs (63.5kg). A Roman Catholic, he had brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion.

Assigned to the 16th Battalion of the Australian Infantry, Private Holder’s unit departed from Fremantle on 21st January 1917, travelling no board the ship Miltiades. Just under two months later, on 27th March, Harry arrived back in Britain, docking at Devonport, Devon, before moving with his battalion to a camp on the outskirts of Codford, Wiltshire.

A significant proportion of the ANZAC troops became unwell within weeks of arriving at the camp, and Harry was not to avoid illness. On 27th April he was admitted to the barracks’ hospital with cerebrospinal meningitis, but the treatment was to prove too little, too late. Private Holder died on 28th April 1917: he was 31 years of age.

Harry Holder was laid to rest in a new extension to St Mary’s Churchyard in Codford, close to the base where he had breathed his last.

Private Harry Holder
(from findagrave.com)
Australia, Australian Infantry, Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, illness, photography, Private, South Africa, story, war, Wiltshire

Private Thomas Bickley

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Private Thomas Bickley

Thomas George Bickley was born in Fremantle, Australia, in 1881, and was the second of six children to Absolom and Mary Bickley. May had been married and widowed twice before wedding Thomas’ father, and so he had eight half-siblings as well.

Thomas’ early life is a challenge to piece together, but his service records from the First World War fill in some of the detail. He confirms that he had served in the 1st Imperial Light Horse for eleven months, and that he fought in South Africa – presumably as part of the Boer War of 1899-1902.

At the time of enlisting on 13th September 1916, he was working as a carpenter, and had completed a five-year apprenticeship. He married Rose Buck in 1907, but they did not have any children.

Private Bickley was assigned to the 16th Battalion of the Australian Infantry, and his medical report confirms the man he had become. He was 5ft 10ins (1.77m) tall and weighed 170lbs (77.1kg). At 34 years of age, he had light brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion.

Thomas’ unit left Fremantle on the Argyllshire. The troop ship arrived in Devonport, Devon, two months later, and his battalion was sent to their base near Codford in Wiltshire. The journey impacted a lot of soldiers, and Thomas was not to be immune from this.

On 12th February Private Bickley was sent to the camp hospital as he was suffering from bronchitis. The severity of his condition meant he was immediately transferred to an army hospital in nearby Sutton Veny, but it was to prove too late. Thomas died from the lung condition on 23rd February 1917: he was 35 years of age.

Thomas George Bickley was laid to rest in the ANZAC extension to St Mary’s Churchyard, Codford, not far from the based that had so briefly been his home.