Tag Archives: Wiltshire

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, photography, story, war

Private Harry Gurd

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Private Harry Gurd

Harry John Gurd was born in the Wiltshire parish of Berwick St John in the spring of 1881. He was one of three children to dairyman Ebenezer Gurd and his wife, Elizabeth.

Details of Harry’s early life are fragmented, but by the time of the 1911 census, he had moved to West Sussex, and was working as a gardener. The document confirms that he had married Alice three years before, and that they were living in North End, Findon. By this point, the couple had three children: Alice, Ronald and Walter, and they would go on to have another daughter, Hester, in 1913.

Harry stepped up to play his part when war was declared. Full details of his service have been lost, but it is evident that he enlisted by December 1917 at the latest and, as a Private, joined the Army Veterinary Corps. He was initially attached to the 15th Veterinary Hospital, but transferred across to the Labour Corps, joining the 695th Company.

In the summer of 1918, Private Gurd fell ill. He was admitted to hospital, but his condition – a duodenal ulcer – was to prove fatal. He passed away on 25th June 1918, at the age of 37 years old.

The body of Harry John Gurd was brought back to Sussex for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of St John the Baptist Church, Findon, the village that had become his home. When Alice died in the summer of 1958, she was buried alongside Harry: husband and wife reunited after forty years.

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.

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

Private Thomas Gorman

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Private Thomas Gorman

Thomas Michael Gorman was born on 6th April 1887 and was the seventh of ten children. Both of his parents – Patrick and Mary Gorman – were Irish, and had followed Patrick’s work around the world as an army Quartermaster Serjeant. By the time Thomas came along, the family had settled in Australia, and he was born in Brisbane.

There is little information about Thomas’ early life. When he completed his schooling, his father took him on as an apprentice and, by the time war broke out, he was working as a mechanic.

Thomas enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in March 1916. His service records show that he was 5ft 8ins (1.72m) tall, and weighed 138lbs (62.6kg). A Roman Catholic, he was recorded as having dark hair, light blue eyes and a fair complexion. It was also noted that he had two scars – one relating to his appendix, and another to a hernia operation.

Private Gorman’s unit – the 15th Battalion of the Australian Infantry – set sail for Europe on 8th August 1916. After just over two months on board the Itonus, they arrived in Plymouth, Devon, from where they were sent to Codford, Wiltshire, which is where several of the ANZAC battalions were based.

Thomas’ service was a mixed one, and his record is not without blemish. In October 1916, he was confined to barracks for seven days for going absent without leave. The following month, the same thing happened, and he we detained for a further seven days.

In December 1916, Private Gorman was admitted to a military hospital in Fovant, near Salisbury, suffering from jaundice. By February 1917 he was back in Codford, and was held in detention for two weeks, for going absent without leave, being drunk in the lines and for urinating in the lines.

Thomas’ jaundice had returned, and he was admitted to the camp hospital again. This time, however, he luck was to run out. He passed away on 14th March 1917, at the age of 29 years old.

Thomas Michael Gorman was laid to rest in the graveyard extension to St Mary’s Church in Codford, Wiltshire.

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

Private James McGrath

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Private James McGrath

James Charles Patrick McGrath was born in June 1895 in the town of Marlborough, Queensland, Australia. He was the only child of Patrick and Margaret McGrath.

Little information is available about James’ early life. His father died in 1912, and he found work as a station hand when he completed his schooling.

When war broke out in Europe, James stepped up to play his part. Seeking adventure, and a reliable wage, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in August 1916.

Private McGrath’s service records suggest he must have cut quite a figure, being 5ft 11.5ins (1.81m) tall, and weighing 172lbs (78kg). A Roman Catholic, he had hazel eyes, fair hair and a fair complexion.

James’ unit – the 15th Battalion of the Australian Infantry – departed Australia on 25th November 1916. Leaving from Sydney, his ship, the Beltana, took just under two months to reach its destination, Devonport, Devon. From here, Private McGrath’s battalion made the 130 mile (210km) journey to their base on the outskirts of the Wiltshire village of Codford.

James arrived in Codford on 30th January 1917, but soon fell ill. He was admitted to the camp hospital with influenza on 17th February, but his condition worsened. He passed away from pneumonia on 2nd March 1917: he was just 21 years of age.

Thousands of miles from home, James Charles Patrick McGrath was laid to rest in the cemetery extension to St Mary’s Church in Codford.

Private James McGrath
(from findagrave.com)
Australia, Australian Infantry, Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, illness, photography, Private, story, war, Wiltshire

Private Percy Connelly

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Private Percy Connelly

Percy Francis Connelly was born in October 1892 in Goulbourn, New South Wales, Australia. One of nine children – eight boys and one girl – his parents were Francis and Emily.

There is little information available about Percy’s early life. When he completed his schooling, he found work as a labourer and this is what he was doing when war was declared.

Percy stepped up to serve his King in November 1916, joining the Australian Imperial Force. His service records show that he was 5ft 8ins (1.72m) tall and weighed 147lbs (66.7kg). A Roman Catholic, he was also noted as having brown eyes, cark brown hair and a dark complexion.

Private Connelly’s unit – the 49th Battalion of the Australian Infantry – departed from Sydney on 22nd December 1916. His ship – the Demosthenes – took ten weeks to reach Britain. During this time, Percy was admitted to the ship’s isolation hospital, as he was suffering with venereal disease.

Percy’s unit arrived in Plymouth, Devon, on 5th March 1917. They were sent to their base near Codford in Wiltshire, for further training and preparation for a move to the continent. Private Connelly, however, would not be going with them. Just a week after arriving at the camp he was admitted to hospital, having contracted bronchial pneumonia.

The lung condition was to prove Percy’s undoing. He took his last breath on 19th March 1917: he was 24 years of age.

Percy Francis Connelly was laid to rest in the ANZAC section of St Mary’s Churchyard, Codford.

Percy’s younger brother, Francis, was also caught up in the First World War. Attached to the 42nd Battalion of the Australian Infantry, he had arrived in Britain more than a year before his older sibling.

Sent to France in November 1916, Francis was wounded just a couple of months later. He was medically repatriated to Britain for treatment, and eventually re-joined his unit in September 1917. He would spend most of the next year on the Western Front, and was killed in action on 29th September 1918. He was just 23 years of age.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Kent, Lieutenant, photography, Royal Naval Reserve, story, Sub Lieutenant, war, Wiltshire

Lieutenant Claude Walker

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Lieutenant Claude Walker

“The funeral took place on Wednesday with naval honours of Lieut. Claude Bennett Walker, RNR, whose home is a 23, Overcliffe, Gravesend, and who died at the Royal Naval Hospital, Chatham, on Saturday. His death was a naval casualty, and it was only on Friday, a day before his death, that he was taken to the Chatham Hospital.”

[Kent Messenger & Gravesend Telegraph: Saturday 25th May 1918]

Claude Bennett Walker was born on 6th July 1882 in Deal, Kent. The oldest of five children, his parents were George and Amelia Walker. George was a Trinity pilot, navigating ships off the Kent coast and beyond, and it was only natural that his first born followed in his stead.

Claude set to a life at sea when he completed his schooling. By August 1904, he was a registered Second Mate on board sea-going vessels, and within two years, he was deemed competent to become a First Mate. By 1909 he was certified as a Master of a foreign-going ship. At some point he joined the Royal Naval Reserve, and on 5th July 1912, was given the rank of Sub-Lieutenant.

That autumn, Claude married Gwen Case. The wedding took place in her home town of Melksham, Wiltshire, and the couple would go on to have two children – son Alec in 1913, and daughter Alison three years later.

When war broke out, Claude would be called upon to play his part, serving on the battleship HMS Majestic and the destroyer HMS Recruit early on in the conflict. By the spring of 1915, he was assigned to the minelayer HMS Biarritz, and that October, he was promoted to full Lieutenant.

On 9th March 1917, Claude was given command of the minelayer HMS Perdita. She served in the Mediterranean, and would be caught up in some skirmishes. In October 1917, Lieutenant Walker was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and the following April he was mentioned in dispatches.

The Perdita was back in Kent by the spring, by which point Claude had fallen ill. He was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham with cerebrospinal meningitis, and this would be the condition to which he would succumb. He passed away on 18th May 1918, at the age of 35 years of age.

Claude Bennett Walker was laid to rest in the naval section of Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.

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

Private John Morton

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Private John Morton

The life of Private John Morton is a challenge to unpick. His entry on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website confirms that Morton was the name he served under, but that his birth name was John Lessells.

John’s army paperwork gives his age, 20 years old, his place of birth as Dunfermline, Scotland, and provides a next-of-kin, William Morton. John had enlisted on 9th September 1916 in Brisbane, Australia, although no emigration records remain. His service document noted that he was working as farmer, so, like thousands of others, it is likely that John sought a bigger and better life in a land of opportunity.

The medical section of John’s service records confirm something of the man he had become. He was 5ft 3ins (1.6m) tall, and weighed 125lbs (56.7kg). He had brown hair, blue eyes and a medium complexion. Interestingly, it also noted that John had been turned down for military service before because of an “under standard chest”.

Private Morton’s unit set sail for Europe on 17th November 1916. The transport ship – the Kyarra – departed from Brisbane, and arrived in Plymouth, Devon, nearly three months later. During the voyage, he was admonished for disobeying a reasonable order given by a superior order, although what the order was is unclear.

On landing in Britain, John was assigned to the 15th Battalion of the Australian Infantry. His unit was moved to a camp on the outskirts of Codford, Wiltshire, which would become their base of operations. Sadly, the journey from Australia seemed to have taken it out of John. On 14th February 1917, he was admitted to the camp hospital, suffering from a bout of influenza. His condition worsened, and two days later he was moved to a military hospital in nearby Sutton Veny.

Private Morton’s condition was to get the better of him. He passed away from pneumonia on 19th February 1917. He was 20 years of age.

John Morton, or John Lessells, was laid to rest in the graveyard extension to St Mary’s Church in Codford. He was surrounded by colleagues from the ANZAC regiments.

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

Private John Flanagan

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Private John Flanagan

John Richard Flanagan was born in Healsville, Australia, in 1875. The second of four children – and the only son – his parents were Luke and Ann Flanagan.

Little information is available about John’s early life. Ann died in 1898, with Luke passing just seven years later, leaving John effectively an orphan in his early 30s. By this point he was working as a post and telegraph official, and this provided his employment when the world went to war in 1914.

John stepped up to serve his King in January 1916. His medical report confirms that he was 5ft 7ins (1.7m) tall, and weighed 166lbs (75.3kg). He had light brown hair, blue eyes and a florid complexion.

Assigned to the 16th Battalion of the Australian Infantry, Private Flanagan first had to travel from Healsville to Fremantle. From there his unit departed for Europe on board the Argyllshire. He left Australia on 9th November 1916, and arrived in Devonport, England, two months later. The 16th Battalion’s journey was not over yet, however: they made their way from Devon to Wiltshire, heading for a military camp on the outskirts of Codford.

Within a couple of weeks, Private Flanagan found himself confined to barracks. On 24th January he was sent to his billet for 24 hours by Major Turynarn (possibly Turynam), his offence was neglecting to obey an order.

Illness seemed to run rampant at Codford early in 1917, and John was not to escape health issues. On 18th February he was admitted to the camp hospital, having contracted pneumonia. Tragically his move the the medical facility was to prove too little, too late. Private Flanagan passed away the following day: he was 42 years of age.

Thousands of miles from home, John Richard Flanagan was laid to rest in in the graveyard of St Mary’s Church, not far from where he had breathed his last.

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

Private Gabriel McIlroy

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Private Gabriel McIlroy

Gabriel McIlroy was born in the Australian town of Charters Towers in 1878. The oldest of four children, his parents were Patrick McIlroy – of whom there is little information – and his Danish-born wife, Ann.

There is little information available about Gabriel’s early life. He never married and, by time he enlisted in January 1916, he was employed as a labourer, and gave his mother as his next of kin.

Gabriel joined the Australian Imperial Force, and his service records give an insight into the man he had become. He was noted as being 5ft 3.5ins (1.61m) tall, and weighed 126lbs (57.2kg). Private McIlroy had a fair complexion, with brown hair and bluish eyes. He had a scar on his right arm, and was recorded as being Roman Catholic.

Gabriel’s unit – the 15th Battalion of the Australian Infantry – set sail from Brisbane on 21st October 1916. They sailed to Britain on the Boonah, a ship that had been built in Germany for trade with Australia. On the outbreak of way, she was docked in Sydney, and was seized by the Commonwealth authorities. Hastily converted to a troop ship, she was soon used to transport soldiers to Europe.

Private McIlroy arrives in Plymouth, Devon, on 10th January 1917. His battalion marched to Codford, in Wiltshire, where they were based before transferring to the Western Front. Sadly, he would not accompany his colleagues.

On 17th February, Gabriel was admitted to a military hospital in Sutton Veny, just a few miles from the camp. He was suffering from bronchitis, and the condition would prove fatal. Private McIlroy passed away on 19th February 1917: he was 39 years of age.

The body of Gabriel McIlroy was taken back to Codford for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard extension to the village’s St Mary’s Church.

The ship that had brought Gabriel to Britain would add its own footnote to the First World War. In October 1918, not long before the end of the conflict, she was one of the last vessels to leave Australia carrying troops. During the voyage, more than 300 of those on board had contracted influenza, in what became known as the Boonah Crisis.