Tag Archives: Serjeant

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, India, photography, Sergeant, story, war, Wiltshire, Wiltshire Regiment

Serjeant William Loder

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Serjeant William Loder

William James Nelson Loder was born in the summer of 1893 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. The oldest of seven children, his parents were Harry and Rosina. Harry was an engineer at a wool mill, and his son obviously followed in his father’s practical footsteps: the 1911 census found him employed as a coach builder’s apprentice.

The document found the Loder family living at 1 Canal Road, a five-roomed cottage on the outskirts of town. Alongside Harry and his son, William’s younger sister, Ethel was also working as an apprentice dress maker.

Away from work, it seems that William also joined the local militia, with a later document showing that he enlisted in the Wiltshire Regiment on 4th February 1909. When war broke out, he was called upon to play his part. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, and was sent to India in September 1914. While his service papers have been lost to time, it is clear that he rose to the rank of Serjeant, but by the start of 1917, he was back in Britain.

On 27th January 1917, William married Angelin Gliddon. She was a coachman’s daughter from Holt, Wiltshire, and was working as a draper’s assistant when she and her husband exchanged vows.

William’s health was failing by this point and, on 21st May 1917, he was formally discharged from the army on medical grounds. His trail goes cold as this point, and it is only three years later that documents confirm his passing. He died on 24th April 1920 at the age of 26 years old.

The body of William James Nelson Loder was laid to rest in Holt Old Cemetery, not far from where his grieving wife still lived.

Bombardier, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Lanarkshire, photography, Royal Garrison Artillery, Royal Horse Artillery, Scotland, Sergeant, story, war, Wiltshire

Serjeant Thomas Harrison

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Serjeant Thomas Harrison

The life of Thomas Harrison, buried in Holt Old Cemetery, Wiltshire, is a challenge to unpick. No service papers remain, but the Commonwealth War Graves Commission note that he was married to Annie Harrison, who lived in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

The couple do not appear together in the 1911 census, so it is likely that they exchanged vows after this date. There is a Thomas Harrison recorded in the return: he was an Acting Bombardier in the Royal Horse Artillery, billeted in the barracks in Trowbridge. It is likely that he is the gentleman buried in Holt Cemetery, but it cannot be confirmed either way.

Acting Bombardier Harrison was born in Motherwell, Lanarkshire, in around 1889, but his name is not uncommon, so it is not possible to identify his parents or early life.

Thomas served during the First World War, rising to the rank of Serjeant in the Anti-Aircraft Depot of the Royal Garrison Artillery. He and Annie had two children: Vera, who was born in 1912, and Ivy, who was four years younger.

When the Armistice was declared, Serjeant Harrison returned home, but, in the spring of 1920, he suffered a bout of gastritis. The condition was to prove fatal, and he passed away on 31st March 1920. He was 31 years of age.

The body of Thomas Harrison was laid to rest in Holt Old Cemetery, not far from where Annie and the girls lived.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Northamptonshire, photography, Royal Army Service Corps, Sergeant, story, war

Serjeant George Twiselton

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Serjeant George Twiselton

George Twiselton was born in Milton Malsor, Northamptonshire, in the spring of 1878. The third of nine children, he was the second of two sons to Reuben and Eliza Twiselton. Reuben was a general labourer, working for the local railway and brewer, and his son was to follow suit, taking up employment as a drayman.

In 1903, George married Annie Branson. She was a cooper’s daughter from Northampton, and it seems likely that George and his future father-in-law knew each other through their combined work. By the time the young couple married, Annie was working as a domestic servant for the Burnham family, and was living at 50 Middle Street, Bradwell, Buckinghamshire (now part of Milton Keynes).

The 1911 census found George and Annie living in Milton Malsor. They had four children by this point: Edith, Doris, Reuben and Clara. George was still employed as a brewer’s drayman, and this would stand him in good stead when war broke out a few years later.

Details George’s time in the army have been lost to time, but it is clear that he had enlisted by 1916, and was assigned to the Royal Army Service Corps. His previous time with horses led him to be attached to the 381st Mechanical Transport Company, and he spent time in France, eventually rising to the rank of Serjeant.

George survived the war, and returned home after the Armistice. However, he contracted influenza early in 1919, and would succumb to the condition on 9th March: he was 40 years of age.

The body of George Twiselton was laid to rest with full military honours in the graveyard of Holy Cross Church, in his home village of Milton Malsor.

Serjeant George Twiselton
(from miltonmalsorhistory.org.uk)

With her husband dead, and six children to raise, Annie had to find the strength to continue. The 1921 census found her living with her four youngest – including her only son, Reuben. She was employed on home duties, while her 13-year-old boy was working as a farm servant.

Reuben’s story is a testament to his father’s determination:

At the outbreak of WW2 Reuben, the only son of George, joined his father’s old RASC regiment and went to France as an ambulance driver with the British Expeditionary Force. Along with many others, he withdrew to the Dunkirk beaches but turned down evacuation back to the UK, choosing instead to stay behind and give assistance to the many wounded. He was later taken prisoner and held a Prisoner of War for 5 years until released by American soldiers in 1945. He died in 1988 aged 81 years.

[Milton Malsor History website]

Commonwealth War Graves, Corporal, Essex, Great War, history, illness, Pembrokeshire, photography, Royal Army Service Corps, Sergeant, story, war

Corporal Tom Morse

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Serjeant Tom Morse

Thomas Morse was born in St Nicholas, Pembrokeshire, in the summer of 1885. One of thirteen children, his parents were Thomas and Mary Morse. Thomas Sr was an agricultural labourer, but when he completed his schooling, his son found work as a mason and, by the time of the 1911 census, he was boarding with his older sister Maria and her family.

When war broke out, Thomas Jr – who was better known as Tom – stepped up to play his part. Full details about his service have been lost to time, but it is clear that he enlisted in the Royal Army Service Corps. It is unclear whether he spent any time overseas, but towards the end of the war, he found himself based in Essex in the Mechanical Transport Division.

In the autumn of 1918, Tom, who had risen to the rank of Acting Corporal, fell ill. He came down with pneumonia, and was admitted to Colchester Hospital. The condition would prove fatal, and he passed away on 26th October 1918: he was 33 years of age.

The body of Thomas “Tom” Morse was brought back to Pembrokeshire for burial. He was laid to rest in the Hermon Baptist Burial Ground in Fishguard.

Intriguingly, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have Tom’s rank as Serjeant. What remains of his service papers, however, all suggest he was an Acting Corporal.

Equally intriguing are the details of Tom’s dependents. His entry on the Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects gives his father, Thomas Sr, as his beneficiary. His Dependents’ Pension Record, however, gives his mother, Mary, and Miss M Nicholas, who is listed as the guardian of his illegitimate child. There no further information on them.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Middlesex, photography, Royal Fusiliers, Sergeant, story, Sussex, war

Serjeant William Shanly

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Serjeant William Shanly

William Michael Shanly was born in Hampstead, Middlesex, in the summer of 1892. The fourth of eight children, of whom three died in infancy, he was the eldest son to Michael and Mathilde Shanly. Michael was the owner of a coffee and refreshment company.

The Shanly family lived at 78 Sumatra Road, Hampstead, but by the time he was nine years old, William had been sent to Sussex, and was boarding at the Xavarians Brothers School in Uckfield.

There is little further information available about William’s life. His epitaph on the family headstone suggests that he died on active service and was a Platoon Sergeant of the 18th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. His unit was also known as the 1st Public Schools, although exactly what role he held is unclear. His entry on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Grave Index suggests that he was attached to the 15th (Reserve) Battalion, but his military records no longer exists, so it isn’t possible to confirm either way.

Serjeant Shanly died on 5th February 1915, aged 22 years of age. He had had an operation for appendicitis five days earlier, but had succumbed to peritonitis.

William Michael Shanly was laid to rest in the family plot in Highgate Cemetery, not far from where his grieving family were living.

Commonwealth War Graves, Dorset, Great War, history, photography, Private, Sergeant, story, Tank Corps, unknown, war, Wiltshire

Serjeant Herbert Newman

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Serjeant Herbert Newman

Herbert James Newman was born at the start of 1891, the fourth of five children – all sons – to Charles and Mary Newman. Charles was a general labourer, and the family lived on Well Head, to the north of Mere, Wiltshire.

Charles died when Herbert was just a boy, and Mary was left to raise the family on her own. By the time of the 1901 census, the family had moved to a cottage on Old Hollow, and she had taken work as a charwoman. Herbert’s older brother, Theodore and William, had also taken jobs to help with money.

In 1911, her boys had all grown up and were moving on, and Mary found more secure employment as a live-in servant to 80-year-old Anna Collard, a single woman who was living on her own means.

Herbert, meanwhile, had left Wiltshire for the capital, and was working as a compositor. He was boarding with widow Mary Ann Day and her two children, all living relatively comfortably at 41 St Thomas’ Road in Finsbury Park, Middlesex. Amongst the other lodgers were Jeweller John Tipping, conductor Wilfred Mustill and cycle mechanic Lester Rule.

When war came to Europe, Herbert stepped up to play his part. Full details of his military service have been lost to time, but it is clear that he had enlisted by December 1917. Initially joining the Tank Corps, It seems likely that Private Newman had seen service overseas, although there is nothing to confirm this either way.

As the conflict drew into its closing months, the now promoted Serjeant Newman seems to have been based in Dorset. In the spring of 1918, he fell ill, and was admitted to the Military Hospital in Wareham. The cause of his illness is unclear, but it would prove fatal: he passed away on 18th May 1918, at the age of 27 years old.

The body of Herbert James Newman was taken back to Wiltshire for burial. He was laid to rest in Mere Cemetery, on the outskirts of the town he had called home.

Interestingly, Serjeant Newman’s Pension Ledger Index Card gives his beneficiary as his mother, Mary. The British Register of Soldiers’ Effects, however, suggests his next-of-kin was his widow, Lucy, although there appears to be no record of Herbert having married.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Devonshire Regiment, Great War, history, India, photography, Private, Sergeant, South Africa, story, unknown, war

Serjeant Samuel Dymond

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Serjeant Samuel Dymond

Samuel John Dymond was born in Broadhempston, Devon, in 1878. The son of Samuel and Jane Dymond, his childhood appears to have been disjointed: the 1881 census found him living with his uncle and aunt, while a decade later he was under his grandmother’s roof.

This background may have driven him to a more stable life and, on 22nd May 1896, he enlisted in the army. Joining the Devonshire Regiment, his service records show that he was 5ft 5.5ins (1.66m) tall and weighed 126lbs (57.2kg). He had fair hair, grey eyes, a fresh complexion and two scars on his right kneecap.

Private Dymond spent the first couple of years on home soil. In February 1898, however, he journeyed overseas, serving in the East Indies and South Africa, for which he was awarded the South Africa Medal, with a clasp for the defence of Ladysmith. By January 1902, Samuel was on the move again, and he spent the next two years in India.

At the beginning of 1904, Samuel returned to Britain. He remained on home soil until his contract came to an end on 21st May 1912.

Away from the army life, love beckoned. Samuel married Alice Reynolds on 9th October 1904 in the parish church at Marldon, Devon. The couple went on to have three children: Dorothy, Annie and Albert.

By the time of the 1911 census, Samuel was working as a labourer, and the family were living at Vine Cottage on Church Street, Paignton, Devon.

When war broke out, Samuel was called into service once more but, frustratingly, it is at this point that his trail goes cold. Returning to the Devonshire Regiment, he was certainly in France by 11th December 1914. Later on in the war he transferred across to the regimental depot, but whether this was on home soil of overseas is unclear.

The next record for Samuel is that of his passing. He died in a military hospital in Devonport on 13th January 1920, the British Record of Soldiers’ Effects only at that point confirming that he had reached the rank of Serjeant. He was 42 years of age.

Samuel John Diamond was laid to rest in Paignton Cemetery, overlooking the town that had become his home.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Devonshire Regiment, Great War, history, illness, photography, Sergeant, South Africa, story, war

Serjeant Edwin Huxtable

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Serjeant Edwin Huxtable

Edwin Huxtable was born in the summer of 1863, the youngest of eight children to William and Sarah. William was a tailor and Sarah a dressmaker, and they raised their family in their home village of South Molton, Devon.

William’s two younger sons followed him into tailoring, although the family disappears from records for more than 20 years. William passed away in 1889, and a later newspaper report suggests that Edwin enlisted in the army in some capacity, serving in South Africa during the Second Boer War.

Back in Britain, Edwin married Hester Cole in 1904. She was a dressmaker from South Molton as well: the couple set up home and their business at 10 Broad Street in the village. They had two children: Sidney was born in 1905, and Herbert in 1906, although their younger boy passed away when just a babe-in-arms.

When war broke out, Edwin was called back into service. Details of his military career have been lost, but it is clear from what remains that he enlisted in the Devonshire Regiment, and served in the 11th (Reserve) Battalion. His previous time in the army was taken into account, and he was given the rank of Serjeant.

It is unclear whether Edwin saw any time overseas as part of the First World War, but his age and health were against him. Suffering from pneumonia, he was admitted to a hospital in Torquay. The lung condition got the better of him, however, and he passed away on 14th April 1915. He was 52 years of age.

Taken back to South Molton for burial, Edwin Huxtable was laid to rest in the village’s cemetery.

The 1921 census showed that Hestor was keeping up the family business. She was living in East Street, South Molton, and listed as a dressmaker and employer.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devonshire Regiment, Great War, history, injury, London, photography, Sergeant, story, Sussex, war

Serjeant George Constable

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Serjeant George Constable

George Constable was born in the summer of 1893 in Findon, West Sussex. His parents were Albert and Ruth Constable, and they had seven children: Ruth Jr, Thomas, Albert Jr, William, George, Arthur and Rachel.

There is little concrete information about George’s early life. The 1901 census found the Constable family living at 2 Mill Cottages in Findon, with George’s oldest brother, Thomas, helping his father’s gardening work.

When war came to Europe, George and his older brothers stepped up to play their part. Thomas joined the Dorsetshire Regiment and worked his way to the rank of Lance Corporal. His time in service was to be tragically brief, however. He was killed in France on 26th October 1914, aged 27 years old. He is commemorated on both the Le Touret Memorial, and on the headstone to the family ploy in St John the Baptist Churchyard, Findon.

George also joined the Dorsetshire Regiment and, like his brother, was assigned to the 1st Battalion. During his short time with the regiment – he enlisted no later than October 1914 – he rose through the ranks, and, by the spring of 1915, had been promoted to Serjeant.

Sent to France, George was wounded in April 1915, and medically evacuated to Britain for treatment. He was admitted to the 1st London General Hospital, but his injuries were to prove too severe. He passed away on 5th April 1915 aged just 21.

Albert and Ruth had lost two of their sons to the conflict within six months. While Thomas’ body lay in France, George was brought back to Sussex for burial.

George Constable was buried in the family plot in the graveyard of St John the Baptist Church, Findon.

William Constable was assigned to the Royal Sussex Regiment when he enlisted. He too rose through the ranks, and would take on the role of Serjeant, like his younger brother. His unit, the 2nd Battalion, fought at Loos in the autumn of 1915, and this is where William would be killed. He died on 25th September 1915, aged just 23 years old.

Serjeant Constable is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, while Albert and Ruth, having now lost three sons within a year, added his name to the family headstone.

Albert Constable Jr, was also involved in the conflict. Along with George and Thomas, he had joined the 1st Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment, but unlike his brothers, he survived the horrors of the Western Front.

By the last months of the war, Lance Corporal Constable was caught on in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line, and, tragically, he too was killed. Albert passed away on 15th September 1918, at the age of 29 years old. He was buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery, Germany.

By this point, the face of the family headstone was already full with commemorations to his three brothers, Albert is remembered in lettering around the edge of the grave marker.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Kent, photography, Sergeant, Somerset, story, war, Wiltshire

Serjeant Edward Davies

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Serjeant Edward Davies

Edward Victor Davies was born in the Weston area of Bath, Somerset, in the summer of 1897. The second of four children, and the only boy, his parents were Walter and Emily Davies.

Walter was a park keeper who died when Edward was just 9 years old. By the time of the 1911 census, Emily was working as a caretaker for a solicitor’s office, while her sone was a boarding student at the Duke of York’s School in Guston, Kent. This army school had more than 500 students, with a staff of 100 to train them. It is unclear whether Edward went voluntarily, or whether he was sent there by his mother’s employers because he was fatherless.

War came to Europe in the summer of 1914, and Edward stepped up to play his part. Unfortunately, his service records have been lost to time, so it is unclear whether he went straight into the army after finishing his education. However, given that he held the rank of Serjeant by the end of the conflict, it seems likely that his military career began before the start of the First World War.

Edward – who was better known as Ted – joined the Wiltshire Regiment, and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion. His unit spent time on the Western Front, but there is no evidence whether or not he served overseas. He survived the war, but subsequently fell ill, as so many servicemen did:

DAVIES – March 28th, Sergeant Edward Victor (Ted) Davies, 2nd Wiltshire Regiment, at the Royal Military Hospital, of pneumonia, following influenza, aged 22 years.

[Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette – Saturday 03 April 1920]

Edward Victor Davies was laid to rest in the sweeping grounds of Bath’s Locksbrook Cemetery, not far from where he had grown up.