Harry Lawrence was born on 21st March 1895 in the Somerset village of Merriott, and was one of seven children to Samuel and Rose Lawrence. Samuel was a farm labourer, and, when he left school, this is work that Harry also took up.
When war was declared, Harry stepped forward to play his part. He had enlisted in the Somerset Light Infantry by the summer of 1917 and, while his full service records are no longer available, he definitely spent time on the Front Line in France.
Private Lawrence’s troop – the 6th (Service) Battalion – was involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the war, at the Somme, Arras and Ypres. At some point he was injured, and medically evacuated back to Britain for treatment.
He had been under medical treatment for some time in St George’s Hospital, London. Unfavourable symptoms, resulting from concussion of the brain, set in, which terminated fatally, and death this added one more name to the already long list of the Roll of Honour of [Merriott].
Western Chronicle: Friday 8th February 1918
Harry Lawrence died in St George’s Hospital on 22nd January 1918. He was just 22 years of age. His body was brought back to Somerset for burial, and was laid to rest in the quiet graveyard of All Saints’ Church in his home village.
Leon D Frenette was born on 2nd June 1893, in the coastal village of Petit Rocher, New Brunswick, Canada and was the son of Denis and Sarah Frenette.
Leon’s early life is difficult to piece together – the 1901 Canadian census records five Frenette families living in the same neighbourhood, but of the two whose head is given as Denis, neither has a son by that name (although one has a son called Joseph Leon).
When war came to the distant European shores, Leon was working as a school teacher in Bathurst, a town 12 miles (20km) to the south of Petit Rocher. He stood up to play his part for King and Empire, though, having served in a local militia for a while.
Leon joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a Private. His service records give his height as 5ft 4ins (1.63m), his weight as 130lbs (59kg) and stated that he had a medium complexion, with brown eyes and black hair. In the section of the records that noted distinguishing marks, the medical officer had identified two small brown birthmarks on his left buttock.
Private Frenette arrived in England on board the SS Corsican on 5th November 1916. Assigned to the 132nd Battalion of the Canadian Infantry, he was based at a military camp near Bramshott, Hampshire. The influx of overseas soldiers would have been a bit of a shock to the locals, but Leon appears to have been up to the challenge. Within a matter of weeks, he was admitted to the camp hospital, suffering from a bout of gonorrhoea.
By the end of the year, Private Frenette had been transferred to the 104th Battalion, and moved to Witley Camp in Surrey. His ailment seems to have returned a couple of times, and he was admitted to the camp’s medical facility in January and March 1917.
By the autumn of 1917, Leon had been transferred again, this time to the 26th Battalion. The troop was based on the south coast at Shoreham, West Sussex, and it was from here, on 16th November 1917, that Private Frenette was finally sent to France.
Leon would have arrived at an already battle-scarred Western Front. Over the next year, he was involved in fighting at Cambrai and Arras. His time was not without incident, and he forfeited a day’s pay on 20th March 1918, for “contravention of full dress order, i.e. being without a belt.”
The 26th Battalion’s next offensive was at Amiens, and it was here, on 12th August 1918, that Private Frenette was badly wounded with a gun shot wound to his right arm. Initially treated on site, he was medically evacuated to England for further treatment.
Leon was first admitted to a hospital back in Bramshott, but then transferred to Bath War Hospital in Somerset. His medical report confirms that he was first seen there at 4:30pm on 20th March, and a compound fracture of his humerus. He haemorrhaged and died of shock at 11:45pm that day. He was just 25 years of age.
With family on the other side of the Atlantic, it was not going to be possible for Private Leon Frenette to be taken home for burial. Instead he was laid to rest in the Roman Catholic Cemetery of the city in which he had passed away, Bath.
Iva Victor Brewer was born on 2nd May 1886, the fourth of four children to James and Annie Brewer. James was a farm labourer from Weston-super-Mare, but the family were living in Bathampton by the time of Iva’s birth. James died in 1887, and Annie remarried three years later. Her new husband, Thomas Dolman, was the manager of the George Inn in Bathampton, and the couple went on to have four children of their own, half-siblings to Iva.
Tragedy struck again when Annie passed away in February 1897, at the age of just 37 years old. By the time of the next census in 1901, Iva was boarding with his stepfather’s parents; the following year, however, Thomas also passed away, and the children were left to build their own lives.
Iva – who was now going by his middle name, Victor – found an escape in the army and, according to the 1911 census was an Acting Bombardier in No. 69 Company of the Royal Garrison Artillery, based in Colaba, at the tip of the Mumbai peninsula.
By the time war was declared, Victor had cemented his military career. Full details of his service are no longer available, but the summer of 1916 he had left India for Aden, and was then mentioned in dispatches that October for his bravery in the field at the Somme.
In November 1917, the now Battery Quartermaster Sergeant Brewer was injured in fighting at Passchendaele, and was medically evacuated to Britain for treatment. It seems that he was treated in South Wales, and it seems a whirlwind romance set in when he was living in Pontardawe, near Swansea. On 2nd January 1918, Victor married Laura Seddon, a railway inspector’s daughter from the village of Ystalyfera, just up the valley from Victor.
The couple moved to Bathampton before Victor returned to the fighting. He was badly wounded and, having been evacuated back to Britain in May 1918, he was admitted to the Northern Central Hospital in London where his shattered leg was amputated. Sadly, bronchial pneumonia set in while he was recovering, and he passed away from the subsequent sepsis. Quartermaster Sergeant Brewer passed away on 7th May 1918, days after his 32nd birthday.
Iva Victor Brewer was brought back to Bathampton for burial. He was laid to rest in the quiet graveyard of St Nicholas’ Church in the village.
Tragedy was to strike again, sadly. After his funeral, Laura returned to Wales and found employment at a draper’s store.
…the loss of her husband played on her mind.
On Monday she set off for Bathampton, and on her way posted two letters to her late husband’s relatives.
One ran: “I cannot live without my husband. If you don’t hear from me, search Bathampton, as I shall be there somewhere.” Another letter asked her relatives to let her mother in the Swansea Valley know.
She reached Bath, and it is thought she there took a taxi to Bathampton. She then paid a visit to the cemetery, and placed her hat and handbag on her husband’s grave. At the canal-side nearby she laid her fur coat on the bank, and, it is supposed about midnight, plunged into the water
Western Gazette: Friday 9th April 1920
Laura was just 27 years old when she died: she was buried with Victor, husband and wife reunited again.
Francis Arthur Dickinson was born on 5th February 1874 in Lufton, near Yeovil, Somerset. The elder of two children, his parents were banker Arthur Dickinson, and his wife, Alice.
Francis was drawn to a military life. The 1891 census lists him as an army student at a boarding school in Cornwall, and by the end of the decade, he had enlisted in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.
Over the next fifteen years, Francis served around the world, fighting in India, South and East Africa and in the Middle East. By the end of his term of service, he had risen to the rank of Major. During this time, he had been awarded a number of decorations, and had been mentioned in dispatches twice for his gallantry.
On 23rd July 1914, Francis married Clare Phipps, the daughter of a man of private means from Dilton Marsh, near Westbury, Wiltshire. The couple married in Clare’s home village, but set up residence in the Dickinson family home in Kingweston, Somerset.
When war was declared in 1914, the newlyweds were on their honeymoon. Francis returned to the army and was offered the rank of Colonel, but turned it down, in order to return to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. He soon found himself in the thick of things again, and was caught up in the fighting at Mons, Marne, Aisne and Messines.
In April the following year, Major Dickinson was wounded. Evacuated to a camp hospital in Boulogne, he was not to survive his injuries this time round. He passed away at the hospital on 11th April 1915, at the age of 41 years old.
Due to the masses of servicemen being killed, a decision had been taken by the government of the time to not repatriate the dead to Britain, but to bury them in cemeteries close to where they fell. However, whether because of his family’s connections, or because he passed on the Channel coast, Major Dickinson’s body was, in fact, brought back to Somerset.
Francis Arthur Dickinson was laid to rest with full military honours in the graveyard of All Saints’ Church. He was buried alongside other family members, and in the shadow of the family manor.
Herbert George Millard was born on 8th February 1897 in Wells, Somerset, and was the second of six children to John and Alice Millard. John was a cowman, and, as Herbert grew, the family moved with his father’s work.
By the time of the 1911 census, the family had set up home at the Castle of Comfort Public House in East Harptree, to the south of Bristol. John, by now, was recorded as being a farmer and inn keeper, while his three oldest sons, Herbert included, were all employed as farm hands.
When the war broke out, Herbert was keen to play his part. He enlisted on 8th February 1915, his eighteenth birthday, and was assigned to the Royal Field Artillery. Initially posted for training in Glasgow, within a couple of months, Gunner Millard had been transferred to the Somerset Light Infantry.
The now Private Millard was sent to France in July 1915, and ended up serving three separate periods on the Front Line: July 1915 to October 1916, May 1917 to August 1917 and March 1918 to June 1918.
At some point during his service, he received gunshot wounds to his chest and ‘upper extremities’. It is unclear when this happened, but it may have been what led to Private Millard’s ultimate discharge from service in August 1918.
At this point Herbert’s trail goes cold. He appears to have returned to Somerset, and was living with his family, who had now moved to Baltonsborough, to the south of Glastonbury. The next record for him is that of his passing: he died on 13th March 1921, aged just 24 years old.
Herbert George Millard was laid to rest in the quiet St Dunstan’s Churchyard in Baltonsborough.
Joseph Henry Sibley was born on 23rd September 1897 in the hamlet of Elm, near Frome in Somerset. He was one of seven children to Joseph and Ellen Sibley. Joseph Sr worked as an iron moulder and, by the time of the 1911 census, the family had moved to South Petherton.
When he left school, Joseph Jr found work as a baker. But when he turned 18, and with war ravaging Europe, he enlisted to serve his King and his Country. On 8th December 1915, he joined the Somerset Light Infantry, and was assigned to the 6th Battalion.
Private Sibley’s service records confirm that he was 5ft 5ins (1.65m) tall and 116lbs (52.6kg) in weight. He was declared fit for the army, and was formally mobilised in June 1916.
Joseph was sent to France and by January 1917, he found himself on the Front Line. On 19th May, he was injured, receiving a gun shot wound to his hand and face. Medically evacuated to Britain for treatment and admitted to hospital.
He was for some time in Norwich Infirmary for treatment and ultimately received his discharge from the Army. He had been home only a short time and his health being very unsatisfactory, he was taken to Bristol Royal Infirmary, where an operation was performed, which, unfortunately, terminated fatally.
Western Chronicle: Friday 22nd March 1918
Private Sibley died on 16th March 1918, he was just 19 years of age.
Joseph Henry Sibley’s body was brought back to South Petherton for burial. He was laid to rest in the town’s cemetery.
John Charles Boucher was born in East Coker, Somerset, in the spring of 1894. The youngest of five children, he was the son of Charles and Ann Boucher. Charles worked on the railways as a plate layer, while John found work in a local textile factory as a yarn dyer when he left school. He was a sporty young man, and became a prominent member of the nearby Stoford Football Club.
Ann died in 1914 and, when war was declared, John was keen to play his part. He had enlisted in the Grenadier Guards by the summer of 1917 and was assigned to the 5th Battalion. Full details of Guardsman Boucher’s military service are lost to time, but it is clear that he served abroad, and was wounded twice in the fighting.
John was based at Guards barracks in Kensington, London. It was here that he met Elsie Louise Vaughan, who was the daughter of a local insurance agent. The couple married at the Holy Trinity Church in Paddington on 28th June 1917.
Guardsman Boucher was soon sent to the Western Front again, however, and, in the spring of 1918, he was caught up in the Battles of the Lys. Wounded for a third time, he was medically evacuated to Britain, and admitted to the Military Hospital in Sidcup, Kent. Sadly, it was to be third time unlucky for John: his wounds proved too severe, and he died of his injuries on 13th April 1918. He was just 24 years of age.
John Charles Boucher was brought back to Somerset for burial. He was laid to rest in the cemetery of his home village, East Coker.
Tragically, just three weeks after John’s death, Elsie gave birth to their first, and only, child, a son she named after his father. She went on to marry again in the spring of 1919, to a John Bellamy. The couple would go on to have a child of their own – a daughter called Iris – the following year. John Jr died in 1972, and Elsie followed five years later, at the age of 83 years old.
Archibald Percy Wilds was born in 1896 in Kilmington, Somerset. The youngest of three children, his parents were dairy farmers Charles and Emma Wilds. Charles passed away when Archibald was just a toddler, and with the help of her family, Emma raised their children while maintaining the business.
When he left school, Archibald also helped out on the farm, but war was coming, and he wanted to play his part for King and Country. Details about his service are sketchy, but it is clear that he joined the Somerset Light Infantry as a Private, before transferring to the Hampshire Regiment. He was assigned to the 15th (Service) Battalion, also known as the 2nd Portsmouth.
While Private Wilds’ battalion saw action in France, it is unclear whether he went with them. His records show that he was awarded the Victory and British Medals for his time in the army, but they do not give a date for him embarking for the continent.
The only other records relating to Private Wilds are those confirming his passing. The Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects confirms that he passed away on 26th February 1918 in a military hospital, while another database suggests that he died of wounds, although it is not possible to confirm how he was injured, or where specifically he passed. What can be confirmed is that he was just 21 years of age when he died.
Archibald Percy Wilds was brought to Somerset for burial. He was laid to rest in the family plot in the graveyard of St Michael’s Church in Blackford, not far from where his mother still lived.
Emma Wilds went on to live until she was 70 years old. She passed away in 1932 and was also laid to rest in the family plot, reunited again with her husband and son.
George Augustus Woodforde was born on 21st April 1892 in Leyton, Essex. He was one of six children to George and Harriet Woodforde, although, tragically, George had died shortly before his son was born.
George Sr had been born in Ansford, Castle Cary, Somerset and this is where he was laid to rest. He was a theological student in his twenties and, according to the 1891 census, he was living on his own means. This is something that Harriet was fortunate enough to be able to do once she was widowed.
George Jr studied into his late teens and, by the time war was declared in 1914, he was employed as a schoolmaster. He enlisted in April 1916, but was not mobilised until 17th November 1917. He served as part of the 28th Battalion (Artists’ Rifles) of the London Regiment and his records show that he was 5ft 8ins (1.73m) tall and was of a slight build, weighing in at only 110lbs (50kg).
Private Woodforde soon found himself in France, and fought on the front line for a while. He was caught up in the Battle of the Canal du Nord in late September 1918, and was badly wounded. He was medically evacuated to England, and admitted to the East Leeds War Hospital. He had received gunshot wounds to both thighs and feet, and had fractured the tarsal and metatarsals of his right foot.
Private Woodforde’s left leg became infected, and he then developed double pneumonia. It was this lung condition that he was to succumb to: he passed away at the hospital on 11th November 1918 – Armistice Day. He was just 26 years of age.
George Augustus Woodforde was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Andrew’s Church in Ansford, Somerset, close to where his father had been buried all those years before.
Frederick John Cudby – who was known by his middle name – was born in the summer of 1884 in Farnham, Surrey. The fourth of six children, his parents were William and Caroline Cudby. William was a bricklayer from Essex, while his wife was from Ramsgate in Kent. The family went where his work was, and by the mid-1890s, they had moved to Blaenavon in Monmouthshire.
When he left school, John found employment as a mechanic, working as an engine oiler at a local works. William passed away in 1901, and by the time of the next census, in 1911, John was working as a mason’s labourer. The family were all still living in Blaenavon, helping Caroline by keeping money coming in .
When war came to Europe, John was quick to serve King and Country. He enlisted in the Monmouthshire Regiment and, as a Private, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion. His troop was soon sent to France and, by November 1914, he was entrenched at Ypres, near Ploegsteert Wood.
Promoted to Corporal, little of John’s service information survives. It is clear that he was wounded during a skirmish and that he was medically evacuated back to Britain. It seems likely that he was admitted to the Preston Hall Military Hospital in Aylesford, Kent, and that this is where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries.
Corporal Frederick John Cudby died on 6th June 1915, at the age of just 30 years old. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Aylesford, Kent.
While buried in the churchyard, the location of John’s grave is not known. Instead, he is commemorated on a joint headstone in the First World War section of the graveyard.
Death and Service 