Tag Archives: Private

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, photography, Private, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, story, unknown, war, Wiltshire

Private Ernest Jones

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Private Ernest Jones

Ernest Albert Jones was born in the spring of 1878. The sixth of seven children, he wad the youngest son to Thomas and Maria Jones. Thomas was an agricultural labourer, and the family lived in a cottage on The Rank in the Wiltshire village of Holt.

Ernest found work as a gardener’s assistant when he completed his schooling, but, by the time of the 1911 census, he was employed as a leather dresser for a local fellmonger. According to the document, he was the only one of the Jones children to still be living at home, bringing in money to support his parents.

Maria died in the spring of 1911, and it is likely that Ernest remained at home to support his father. When war broke out, he stepped up to serve his country and, although his service papers have been lost to time, the documents that have survived suggest he joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. His time there was not lengthy, however, and he soon transferred to the Wiltshire Regiment.

It is unclear where or how Private Jones served. He was attached to the 6th (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) Battalion, who served on the Western Front from 1915 onwards, but nothing in Ernest’s remaining records suggest he spent any time overseas.

Ernest survived the war, and returned to the family home. He passed away on 27th June 1920, through causes unknown, at the age of 42.

The body of Ernest Albert Jones was laid to rest in Hold Old Cemetery, not far from the home in which his family had lived for more than four decades.

Thomas passed away nearly two years after his son, at the age of 87 years old. By this point, his granddaughter, Nellie, had moved in to look after him: it was she who Ernest had nominated as his next of kin.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, Hampshire, history, Kent, killed in action, photography, Private, Royal Marines, story, war, Worcestershire

Private Frederick Pagett

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Private Frederick Pagett

Frederick Pagett was born in the Worcestershire village of Hanley Castle on 27th July 1892. The seventh of eight children, he was the youngest son to Samuel and Ann Pagett.

Samuel was a policeman, but when he completed his schooling, Frederick found work as a miner. This seemed not to suit him, however, and, on 20th December 1910, he enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry.

Private Pagett’s service records show that he was 5ft 4.5ins tall, and that he had brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. He had two small scars on his upper lip, and was noted as being able to swim.

Frederick was sent to Deal in Kent for his training. Over the next couple of years, he learnt his trade, and would serve in the Hampshire towns of Gosport and Portsmouth. His papers noted a very good character.

On 12th June 1912, Private Pagett was assigned to the battleship HMS Bulwark. He would remain part of her crew for the next couple of years.

On the 26th November 1914, when Bulwark was moored close to Sheerness, Kent, an explosion ripped through the ship, sinking it and killing more than 740 people. Frederick was on board at the time, and was amongst those to be killed: he just was 22 years of age.

The body of Frederick Pagett was laid to rest in a marked grave in the naval section of Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.

Commonwealth War Graves, Dorset, Great War, history, illness, photography, Private, story, Uncategorized, war, Wiltshire, Wiltshire Regiment

Private Joseph Barnes

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Private Joseph Barnes

Joseph Arthur Barnes was born in the spring of 1887, and was the youngest of four children to George and Hannah Barnes. George was a farm labourer from Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire, and this is where he and Hannah – or Anna – raised their family.

When he completed his schooling, Joseph found work as a horseman on the farm, alongside his older brother, George. On 30th July 1913, he married Minnie Ring, a furniture maker’s daughter from the village. The couple exchanged vows in the parish church.

War was on the horizon, and a little over a year after their marriage, Joseph stepped up to play his part. He joined the Wiltshire Regiment and was assigned to the 3rd Battalion. Private Barnes was sent to Dorset for training, but his time in the army would not be a lengthy one.

Joseph contracted pneumonia, and was admitted to hospital in Weymouth. The condition would provide to severe, however, and he passed away on 9th April 1915: he was 27 years of age.

The body of Joseph Arthur Barnes was taken back to Wiltshire for burial: he was laid to rest in the tranquil surrounds of St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Longbridge Deverill.

Joseph’s brother George also served in the First World War. Assigned to the 1st Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment, he served on the Western Front. Private Barnes was killed in action on 5th August 1917, at the age of 33. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate.

accident, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Labour Corps, photography, Private, Royal West Surrey Regiment, story, Surrey, Training Reserve Battalion, war, Wiltshire

Private William Fisher

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Private William Fisher

William Victor Fisher was born in Battersea, Surrey, at the beginning of 1899. The youngest of nine children, his parents were William and Julia Fisher. William Sr was a blacksmith and farrier, and, when William was born, the family were living in rooms at 9 Gladstone Street.

Julia died in 1902, and William Sr was was left to raise the children on his own. This he seemed to have done well, and by the time of the 1911 census, he was still living in the same house, with five of his children. William Jr’s eldest brother, Mark, was assisting their father in the business.

When war broke out, William Jr was still at school. However, he was keen to play his part and enlisted on 29th August 1915, lying abut his age to do so. As happened at the time, the recruiting officer took the age he stated – 19 years, 255 days – as being correct. He was assigned as a Private in the Royal West Surrey Regiment, and remained in Battersea for training.

Private Fisher’s time in the army was to be a brief one, but it was not without incident. He was confined to barracks for three days on 12th October, when he lost a pair of boots. Just a month later, he was reprimanded again for being absent without leave for nearly six hours on 17th November: he was again confined to barracks, this time for four days.

William’s lie was to catch up with him, and, on 27th November 1915, he was discharged for giving an incorrect age on his recruitment papers.

Two years later, William stepped up to play his part once more. This may have been a result of the death his older brother – Francis. A Private in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, he was killed in action on the Western Front on 28th February 1917: he was just 20 years of age.

Details of William’s second stint in the army have been lost to time, but it is clear that he was initially assigned to the 46th Training Reserve Battalion. Private Fisher then transferred to the 626th Home Service Employment Company of the Labour Corps, and was billeted in Wiltshire.

Tragically, Private Fisher’s time in the army was also to be brief. His entry in the British Register of Soldiers’ Effects show that he died on 12th July 1817, and, intriguingly, that the cause was asphyxiation. His death certificate confirms that this was asphyxia from inspiration of vomited matter, and that he died at No. 12 Camp in Longbridge Deverill: he was just 18 years of age.

The body of William Victor Fisher was laid to rest in the tranquil grounds of St Peter & St Paul’s Church, not far from where he had passed away.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devonshire Regiment, Glamorganshire, Great War, history, illness, photography, Private, story, Wales, war, Wiltshire

Private Frederick Cook

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Private Frederick Cook

Frederick Cook was born in the Wiltshire village of South Wraxall in the spring of 1866. One of five children to James and Ann Cook, his father died when Frederick was just a toddler. The 1871 census found Ann and her children living in Bradford-on-Avon, where she was working as a farm labourer.

By 1881, Frederick had left school and found work as a cloth weaver. That year’s census found him living on Church Lane, Bradford-on-Avon with his mother and younger brother.

At this point Frederick disappears from the records. The next document relating to him is his wedding certificate, noting that he exchanged vows on 5th August 1895. His new wife was widow Ruth Doel, and the marriage took place in Holy Trinity Church, Heywood, Wiltshire, where she was living. Frederick was noted as being a labourer.

Frederick falls off the radar again and this point. He is noticeable by his absence from the 1901 census, Ruth living in Haywood with her son, Ernest. The next return helps to explain things, however, as, while she is now living alone, her husband is boarding in Pyle, Glamorgan, where he was employed as a limestone quarryman.

By the time war broke out, Frederick as 48 years old. He still stepped up to play his part, however, and, while his service papers have been lost to time, it is clear that he had joined the Devonshire Regiment by the summer of 1916. Attached to the 13th (Works) Battalion, Private Cook remained on home soil during his time with the army.

The next record for Frederick is that confirming his passing. He died from pneumonia on 10th February 1917, having previously been admitted to hospital. He was 51 years of age.

The body of Frederick Cook was laid to rest in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Heywood, Wiltshire.

Commonwealth War Graves, Dorset, Dorsetshire Regiment, Great War, history, illness, Mesopotamia, photography, Private, story, war

Private Frederick Cox

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Private Frederick Cox

Frederick Charles Cox was born in the Dorset village of Kington Magna in the spring of 1897. One of seven children, his parents were agricultural labourer William Cox and his wife, Kate.

When Frederick completed his schooling, he also found work as a farm labourer. However, when war broke out, he was keen to play his part, possibly having seen his older brother, William Jr, also join up.

Unlike his sibling, Frederick enlisted in the Dorsetshire Regiment. His service papers have been lost to time, but it is clear that he took the role of Private, and that he was assigned to the 1st/4th Battalion. His unit began the war in India, but had moved to Basra in February 1916, remaining in Mesopotamia for the remainder of the conflict.

Private Cox survived the war, and had returned home by the end of 1919. His time in the army would impact his health, however, and during the winter of 1919/20, he came down with malaria, a condition which would prove fatal. Frederick passed away in hospital in Shaftesbury, on 31st January 1920: he was 23 years of age.

The body of Frederick Charles Cox was taken back to Kington Magna for burial. He was laid to rest in All Saints’ Churchyard, close to his brother, who had died a few years before.

Read more about Frederick’s brother William here.

Kate had lost two adult sons in a matter of years, and her tragedy was not to end. William Sr passed away less than five weeks after Frederick. He was buried close to his sons.

Commonwealth War Graves, Dorset, Great War, history, injury, Kent, London Regiment, photography, Private, story, war

Private William Cox

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Private William Cox

William John Cox was born in the autumn of 1893, and was the second of seven children. His parents – William and Kate Cox – were from Kington Magna, Dorset, and this is where they would raise their family.

William Sr was a farm labourer, and this is work into which his son would follow. By the time of the 1911 census, the family were living in a cottage on Church Street, with William Jr and his younger brother, Frederick, both agricultural workers.

When war came to Europe, William would step up to play his part. Full service details have been lost, but it is clear that he had enlisted in the army by the summer of 1916. As a Private, he was assigned to the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers).

Private Cox certainly saw action overseas, and would find himself entrenched at the Somme. At some point, he was wounded, and his injuries were bad enough for him to be sent back to Britain for treatment. He was admitted to hospital in Chatham, Kent, but his wounds would prove to be too severe. William passed away on 20th December 1916: he was 23 years of age.

The body of William John Cox was taken back to Dorset for burial. He was laid to rest in the tranquil surrounds of All Saints’ Churchyard in Kington Magna.

William’s younger brother, Frederick, also fought in the First World War. Read his story here.

Additional, Commonwealth War Graves, Corporal, Great War, history, India, killed in action, Middlesex, photography, Private, Somerset Light Infantry, story, Surrey, war

Corporal Frederick James

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Frederick John James was born in Willesden, Middlesex, in the spring of 1890. The oldest of six children, his parents were William and Louisa James. Louisa was William’s second wife, his first, Emily, having died in 1887. Frederick had ten half-siblings from this first marriage.

William was a fishmonger: the 1891 census recorded the family at 159 York Road, Battersea, Surrey. Ten years later, they had moved over the river, and were living to 46 Artizans Dwellings, Hammersmith, Middlesex.

Frederick’s father had passed away by the time of the 1911 census. The document recorded his mother residing at 18 Western Terrace, Notting Hill, Middlesex. She lived with three of her children – Ben, Alice and Grace – and was doing char work to bring in a little money.

Frederick, however, was already carving out a career in the army for himself. The same census recorded him as one of 250 troops billeted in Fyzabad, India, where he was a Private in the 2nf Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment.

Private James’ military career lacks some detail, and can only be picked up around the time of his passing. By this point, he had switched regiments, and was a Corporal in the 8th (Service) Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry. He is also noted as being married to a woman called Frances Esther New: the couple had married in 1913, although there is no other information about her.

In the summer of 1917, Corporal James’ unit was caught up in the fighting at Passchendaele. Frederick was initially reported missing, but was later declared as being killed in action on 4th October 1917. He was 27 years of age.

The body of Frederick John James was laid to rest in the Zandvoorde British Cemetery, Ypres.

Frederick was my great great grand-uncle.

Commonwealth War Graves, Dorset, Dorsetshire Regiment, Great War, history, illness, photography, Private, story, war

Private Albert Rose

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Private Albert Rose

Albert William Rose – who was better known by his middle name – was born in the spring of 1876. One of eight children, his parents were Thomas and Amelia Rose. Thomas was a farm labourer from Sturminster Newton, Dorset, and this is the village in which the Rose family were born and raised.

William followed in his father’s footsteps, and was a farm labourer by the time he turned 14. The 1881, 1891 and 1911 census records all show him living with his parents: in 1901 he was a boarder with the Brown family at The Stables in Bryanstone, Dorset. He was employed as a stable keeper, one of eleven live-in employees at the stud.

Alongside his farm work, William was also an active volunteer in the local militia. When war broke out in the summer of 1914, he was quick to enlist, joining the 3rd Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment. His service papers show that he was 5ft 7ins (1.7m) tall and weighed 160lbs (72.6kg). He is recorded as having brown hair and grey eyes.

During the next four months, Private Rose undertook training on home soil. In December 1914, his unit was moved to France, and he would remain on the Western Front through to the Armistice and beyond. His time overseas was not without incident, and his age and health would be against him.

Over the next four years, William would he hospitalised at least a dozen times, for rheumatism, myalgia, a recurring heart condition and, in May 1915, from the effects of a gas attack and subsequent issues with catarrh. In December 1918, he returned to Britain with atherosclerosis, a clogging of the arteries, and was medically discharged from service the following month.

At this point, William’s trail goes cold. It is likely that he returned home, as , when he passed away, his death was registered in Sturminster.

Albert William Rose passed away on 6th June 1919: he was 43 years old. His body was laid to rest in Sturminster Newton Cemetery, not far from his family home.

Commonwealth War Graves, Dorset, Great War, history, injury, photography, Private, story, war, Wiltshire, Worcestershire Regiment

Private Albert Cockell

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Private Albert Cockell

Albert Leonard Cockell was born in the spring of 1917, and was the youngest of four children to William and Annie Cockell. William was a plate layer and packer for Great Western Railways, and the family were born and raised in the village of Dilton Marsh, near Westbury, Wiltshire.

Albert finished his schooling early, to help bring in some money. The 1911 census recorded him – at 13 years of age – employed as a glove worker. When he was old enough, though, he followed in his father’s stead and, by the time war broke out, he was working as a porter at Westbury Station.

In the autumn of 1916, Albert stepped up to serve his country. He enlisted in the Worcestershire Regiment, and was assigned to the 4th Battalion. He soon found himself in the thick of things, and, by the spring of 1917, his unit was entrenched near Arras.

Sincere sympathies will be felt for Mr and Mrs William Cockell in the death of their son, Private Albert Leonard Cockell, Worcester Regiment, which took place on July 8th from wounds received while on active service in France. Private Cockell… joined the army about nine months ago, and during fighting on the 23rd April was struck by shrapnel. He was sent back to Dorchester and died on Sunday.

[Warminster & Westbury Journal: Friday 20th July 1917]

Albert Leonard Cockell was wounded on the first day of the Second Battle of the Scarpe. He died from his injuries on 8th July 1917, and his body laid to rest in the graveyard of Holy Trinity Church, Dilton Marsh.