MONTAGUE GEORGE BOUCHER Lance Corporal, A Company, 11th Battalion, Tank Corps, Service No. 302859 b. 1889 - West Bay, Bridport d. 23 Aug 1918 - France Montague was a Domestic Butler and enlisted in 2nd Battalion, King Edward’s Horse at Hounslow (Service No. 1158), but transferred to the Tank Corps. The 2nd Battalion, King Edward’s Horse were raised by private subscription under the leadership of Sir John Norton-Griffiths on 24 Aug 1914. Montague arrived in France on 4 May 1915 and later served with XIV Corps which was formed in France on 3 Jan 1916 and took part in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. It was disbanded in Aug 1917. At that point many of its troops were transferred to the Tank Corps. Montague was killed in action along the Amiens/Arras front during the Second Battles of the Somme. Son of Sidney & Lily Boucher, of The Coach and Horses Hotel, Montague was a native of West Bay, Bridport. He is buried in Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux, France, grave VI.C.22. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal

WILLIAM GEORGE COLES Gunner, A (Howitzer) Battery, 69th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Service No. 1338 b. 1895 – Charmouth d. 14 May 1916 – Mesopotamia William was a farm labourer and enlisted in Charmouth. He joined the 69th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, which operated 4 x 5 inch howitzers, and part the 13th (Western) Division. The Division was formed as part of Kitchener’s First New Army and began to assemble on Salisbury Plain. Near the end of February the Division concentrated at Blackdown in Hampshire. They moved to the Mediterranean, landing at Alexandria 19 Jun 1915 and then to Mudros, by 4 Jul 1915 to prepare for a landing at Gallipoli. The entire Division landed at ANZAC Cove between 3-5 Aug 1915. They were in action in The Battle of Sari Bair, The Battle of Russell’s Top and The Battle of Hill 60 at ANZAC. Soon afterwards they transferred from ANZAC to Suvla Bay. They were evacuated from Suvla 19-20 Dec 1915 and, after a week’s rest, moved to the Helles bridgehead. They were in action during the last Turkish attacks at Helles on 7 Jan 1916 and were evacuated from Helles on 8/9 Jan 1916. The division then moved to Egypt and were concentrated at Port Said, holding forward posts in the Suez Canal defences. On 12 Feb 1916 they moved to Mesopotamia to join the force being assembled near Sheikh Sa’ad for the relief of the besieged garrison at Kut al Amara. They joined the Tigris Corps on 27 Mar 1916 and were in action in the unsuccessful attempts to relieve Kut. During this time they saw action at: Battles of the Hanna and Fallahiyeh, 5-8 Apr 1916 The Battles of Bait Aisa and Sannaiyat, 7-22 Apr 1916 The surrender of the Kut garrison, 29 Apr 1916 Son of Francis & Lillian Coles of Sunnyside, Charmouth, William is buried in Amara War Cemetery, Iraq, grave XXI. F. 12 He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

GEORGE COX Private, 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment, Service No. 15754 b. 1896 – Charmouth d. 1 Jul 1916 - Somme, France George lived in Charminster and enlisted at Sherborne. His battalion landed at Le Havre on 16 Aug 1914 but he did not join the battalion until 1916. He was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Son of Robert & Elizabeth Cox of Axminster Road, Charmouth, George is buried in Blighty Valley Cemetery, Authuille Wood, France, grave I. C. 1 He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

ALFRED WILLIAMSON GILLENDER Private, Royal Army Medical Corps, Service No. 111 Second Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment (Attached 7th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, 51st Brigade, 17th Division) b. Jun 1890 - Dent, Yorkshire d. 10 Apr 1917 - France Alfred had enlisted as a Private in the Royal Army Medical Corps but was commissioned Second Lieutenant on 15 Dec 1915, joining 3rd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment on 1 Jan 1916, which was attached to 7th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. He was a Company Commander and the battalion war diary states that he was mortally wounded (along with the other Company Commander, Lieutenant Cocks) on 9 Apr 1917 as the Lincolns advanced on their final objective (the Brown Line), around 1430 on the first day of the Battle of Arras. Alfred died of his wounds the following day and is buried in St. Nicolas British Cemetery, France, grave I. D. 16. His name is also recorded on the Allendale war memorial in Cumbria. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

ERNEST GRINTER Private 5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment, Service No. 3/7751 b. 31 Jan 1897 – Charmouth d. 28 Sep 1916 - Somme, France Born in Charmouth, Ernest worked as a carter before enlisting at Dorchester on 27 Aug 1914, aged 17 years and 8 months. He first joined 3rd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment at Wyke Regis and was posted to the 5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment on 23 Nov 1915, joining in the field at Gallipoli. The 5th Dorsets remained at Gallipoli until withdrawn on 16 Dec 1915. After a period manning the Suez Canal defences, they left Egypt on 3 Jul 1916 and arrived in Marseille on 8 Jul 1916. Joining with the 3rd Army south of Arras, they moved to the Somme front arriving at Bouzincourt on 7 Sep 1916. On 16 Sep 1916 they moved forward to relieve the Canadians in trenches at Mouquet Farm. Here they remained under shell and sniper fire until relieved on 19 Sep 1916 by 11th Manchesters, having lost 53 men killed, wounded or missing. On 25 Sep 1916 they were again in the front at Orvillers as part of 34 Brigade. On 26/27 Sep 1916 the 5th Dorsets took part in the Battle of Theipval Ridge, which commenced at 1235 supported by tanks. By 28 Sep 1916 they had been involved in the taking of Mouquet Farm and the Zollern and Stuff Redoubts. Many Dorset dead were later found well forward in the German positions. Casualties for the actions were 63 dead, 260 wounded and 59 missing. Many of the bodies that were recovered came from the area of Stuff Redoubt, where they had become isolated and killed. Others numbered among the missing fell into shell holes where, dying, they were buried by the ebb and flow of battle; others were blasted to pieces by shell fire. The son of George & Jane Grinter of Hogchester Farm, Axminster Road, Charmouth, Ernest was killed in action during the Battle of Thiepval. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, pier and face 7 B. His name is also recorded on the Monkton Wyld War Memorial. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

WILFRED GRINTER Gunner, 132nd (Oxford) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, Service No. 43746 b. 28 Jun 1895 – Charmouth d. 25 Sep 1918 - Somme, France Wilfred Grinter was born in Charmouth and enlisted in Lyme Regis. He went to France on 8 Oct 1915 and served on the Western Front at the Battle of the Somme 1 Jul-13 Nov 1916, the Battle of Arras 9 Apr-16 May 1917, and the Third Battle of Ypres 7 Jun-10 Nov 1917. On the day he died a surprise attack by the enemy near Moeuvres and Epehy was repulsed and sharp local fighting had renewed in the neighbourhood of Selency (two miles west of St. Quentin). Wilfred was digging a gun pit into which a field gun was to be placed. A shell came over unexpectedly and landed right where Wilfred was working. He was killed instantly. The son of George & Jane Grinter of Hogchester Farm, Axminster Road, Charmouth, Wilfred is buried in Villers-Faucon Communal Cemetery Extension, France, grave II. E. 4. His name is also recorded on the Monkton Wyld War Memorial. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

REGINALD JAMES HOBBS Driver, A Battery, 109th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Service No. 1320 b. 1891 - Whitchurch Canonicorum d. 9 Sep 1917 - England Reginald enlisted on 26 Aug 1914 but due to sickness was discharged 14 Jul 1917. He had arrived in France 30 Aug 1915 where his unit took part in the following actions: Second attack on Bellewaarde, 25-26 Sep 1915 Actions of the Bluff, 14-15 Feb 1916 Actions of the St. Eloi Craters, 27 Mar-16 Apr 1916 Attack on the Gommecourt Salient, 1 Jul 1916 Battle of Ginchy, 9 Sep 1916 Battle of Flers-Courcelette, 15-22 Sep 1916 Battle of Morval, 25-28 Sep 1916 Battle of Le Transloy, 1-18 Oct 1916 First Battle of the Scarpe, 9-14 Apr 1917 Third Battle of the Scarpe, 3-4 May 1917 Son of Martha Hobbs of Firlands Terrace, Charmouth and the late Walter William Hobbs, Reginald is buried in Whitchurch Canonicorum (St Candida) Churchyard, SW of Church, against west boundary. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

ARTHUR EDWIN LARCOMBE Able Seaman, HMS Nottingham, Royal Navy, Service No. J/19975 b. 27 Apr 1895 – Portland d. 19 Aug 1916 - HMS Nottingham Arthur had joined the Royal Navy at Devonport before the outbreak of war in 1903. HMS Nottingham was his first ship. She was sunk by U52 in the North Sea (55.34N 00.12E) with the loss of 38 men. She was present at the Battle of Heligoland Bight, 28 Aug 1914 In late Sep 1914 she was used to escort HM Submarine E5 on its way into the Baltic. On 15-16 Dec 1914 she was one of the light cruisers used during the attempt to catch the German ships that had launched a raid on the Yorkshire Coast. HMS Nottingham was present with the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Dogger Bank, 24 Jan 1915. On 20 June 1915, during a cruiser sortie in the North Sea, she was attacked by U17 and U6. Both German submarines fired torpedoes at her, but missed. In Aug 1915, HMS Nottingham and HMS Birmingham were amongst the ships mobilised in an attempt to catch the German mine layer SMS Meteor. HMS Nottingham was also present at the Battle of Jutland 31 May 1916, taking part in the night clash between the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron and the German 4th Scouting Group. On 19 Aug 1916 both the High Seas Fleet and the Grand Fleet were once again at sea. No battle followed, but the British suffered several losses. Amongst them was HMS Nottingham. Just before 0600 she was hit by two torpedoes from U52. Despite the efforts of HMS Dublin to keep the submarine away, at 0625 a third torpedo struck home and ten minutes later HMS Nottingham had sunk. Only 38 men were lost, mostly during the initial impact, and Arthur Larcombe was one. Son of Charles Emmanuel Larcombe of Old Lyme Road, Charmouth, Arthur is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, panel 12.

HERBERT LOCK Private, 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment, Service No. 3/7784 b. 1898 – Charmouth d. 14 Apr 1917 - France Herbert was born in Charmouth and enlisted in Charmouth. His battalion landed at Le Havre 16 Aug 1914, although he did not arrive in France until 13 May 1915 and saw action at: Battle of the Somme, 1 Jul-13 Nov 1916 Battle of the Ancre, 13-18 Nov 1916 He was killed in action during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. Son of John & Sarah Ann Lock, of Foxley House, Charmouth, Dorset, Herbert is buried in Savy British Cemetery, Aisne, France, grave I. Q. 25. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

VALENTINE ALBERT NEWTON Bombardier (Gunner), 91st Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, Service No. 66044 b. 14 Feb 1885 - Catherston Lewiston d. 12 Oct 1918 - France Although born in Charmouth, Valentine lived in Sunninghill, Ascot, Berkshire and enlisted at Guildford. The 91st Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery arrived in France, 25 May 1916. The battery was armed with 4x9.2” howitzers. He was killed in action by enemy shellfire. Son of Mr. & Mrs. E. Newton of Charmouth and husband of Louisa Newton of Spyway Cottage, Sunninghill, Ascot, Valentine is buried in Maurois Communal Cemetery, France, grave 46. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

THOMAS BURTON OGLE Second Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion attached to 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment b. 1886 – Sherborne d. 23 Mar 1916 - Mesopotamia Thomas was promoted Second Lieutenant 14 Dec 1915. His battalion had landed in Fao, Persian Gulf for campaign in Mesopotamia, as part of Indian Expeditionary Force ‘D’ on 6 Nov 1914 but he did not join them until late 1915. They took part in the following actions: Battle of Kut al Amara, 28 Sep 1915 Battle of Ctesiphon, 22-24 Nov 1915 Affair of Umm at Tubul, 1 Dec 1915 Thomas was killed in action during the Siege of Kut. Son of the Rev. Joseph Ogle, The Manse, The Street, Charmouth, Thomas is commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq, panel 22 and 63. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

ARTHUR PIDGEON Corporal, 15th Battalion, The Welsh Regiment, Service No. 47482 b. 1884 – Charmouth d. 18 Sep 1918 - France Arthur enlisted in Aberavon, Wales, where he was living at the time. His battalion landed at Le Havre on 5 Dec 1915. They took part in the following actions: Battle of Albert, 1-13 Jul 1916 Battle of Pilkem, 31 Jul-2 Aug 1917 Battle of Langermarck, 16-18 Aug 1917 Battle of Albert, 21-23-Aug 1918 Second Battle of Bapaume, 31 Aug-3 Sep 1918 Battle of Havrincourt, 12 Sep 1918 Battle of Epehy, 18 Sep 1918 He was killed in action at the Battle of Epehy. Son of George & Georgina Pidgeon of Charmouth and husband of Mary E. Pidgeon,of 1 Pump St., Holyhead, Anglesey, Arthur has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, France, panel 7. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

JOHN GARDNER REID Temporary Captain, B Company, 11th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment b. 1890 – Kensington d. 7 Sep 1916 - Salonika John was educated at Oxford and was killed in action during the Salonika campaign. He had sailed from Southampton to Boulogne on 21 Sep 1915 and served on the Western Front in the Loos offensive. Having served in France, his battalion entrained at Amiens 9 Nov 1915 and arrived in Marseilles 11 Nov 1915. Here they embarked on HMS Mars and HMS Magnificent, sailing the following morning for Alexandria. After two days in Egypt they sailed northwards for Salonika, arriving on 24 Nov 1915. Things remained quiet through the spring of 1916, but in Jul 1916 they were ordered forward again to take the Bulgarian-held town of Doiran. Castle Hill and Kidney Hill outside the town were taken on the night of 7 Aug

Mildred Isabel Reid was the daughter of John and Isabel Reid of  Fountain Mead, Charmouth, Dorset. She died on 10th December 1918 , aged 33.  She was a member of the VAD.
The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) was a voluntary unit of civilians providing nursing care for military personnel in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire. At the outbreak of the First World War VAD members eagerly offered their service to the war effort. The British Red Cross was reluctant to allow civilian women a role in overseas hospitals: most volunteers were of the middle and upper classes and unaccustomed to hardship and traditional hospital discipline. 
The Index Cards below show her living at Wilds Hotel in Charmouth. Its shows her as a permanent nurse from 1915 until 1918 working at Hospital no. in Exeter. Sadly it shows her death in December 1918.

WALTER HENRY ROWLAND Private, 1st/1st Dorset (Queen’s Own) Yeomanry, Service No. 230382 b. 1899 – Charmouth d. 16 Oct 1918 - Syria Walter lived in Charmouth and enlisted at Sherborne. He did not go overseas until 1916, by which time the 1st/1st Dorset (Queen’s Own) Yeomanry were in Egypt. They fought at the Battle of Agagia, 26 Feb 1916, in one of the last ever British cavalry charges before moving to Palestine in 1917 where they fought at: First Battle of Gaza, 26 Mar 1917 Second Battle of Gaza, 17-19 Apr 1917 Battle of Beersheba, 31 Oct 1917 Third Battle of Gaza, 1-2 Nov 1917 Damascus was entered by Commonwealth forces on 1 Oct 1918, the 1st/1st Dorset (Queen’s Own) Yeomanry being among them. A few days later an epidemic of influenza and cholera broke out there and it is probable this was his cause of death. Son of George & Alice Rowland of Axminster Road, Charmouth, Walter is buried in Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery, Syria, grave B. 87. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

HENRY GEORGE SHINER Driver, 201st Company, Army Service Corps, Service No. T3/029571 b. 1895 - East Chelborough, Dorset d. 13 Jun 1915 - UK Although born in East Chelborough, Dorset, Henry lived in Charmouth and enlisted at Lyme Regis. He died while his unit were stationed in the Salisbury area. Son of Henry & Mary Shiner of Bettiscombe, Dorset, Henry is buried in Aldershot Military Cemetery, grave AF. 189

FREDERICK GEORGE SLOMAN Private 1/4th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, Service No. 3334 b. 1899 - Wootton Fitzpaine d. 3 Feb 1917 - Mesopotamia Frederick enlisted at Lyme Regis but did not deploy overseas until at least 1916. The 1/4th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment were deployed to Mesopotamia from India, landing in Basra on 2 Mar 1916 In Feb 1917 they moved to Amara and saw action at the following battles: As Sahilan, 11 Sept 1916 Capture of Khudaira Bend, 14 Dec 1916 Mohammed Abdul Hassan, 9 Jan 1917 Hai Salient, Dahra Bend and Shumran Penninsula, 11 Jan - 24 Feb 1917 He was killed during fighting to take the Hai salient, south of Kut along the Shatt-al-Hai. Son of John Francis Sloman of Hillside Cottage, Charmouth, Frederick was killed in action and is commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq, panel 11. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

BERTRAM FREDERICK H. SMITH Private, 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment, Service No. 7539 b. 1886 - Catherston Leweston d. 19 Oct 1914 - France Bertram lived in Charmouth and enlisted at Dorchester and was the first casualty of the war from the village. His battalion had landed at Le Havre 16 Aug 1914 but he did not arrive in France until 27 Aug 1914. He fought at the following actions: Rearguard action of Crepy en Valies, 1 Sep 1914 Battle of the Marne, 7-10 Sep 1914 Battle of the Aisne, 12-15 Sep 1914 First Battle of Ypres, 19 Oct-22 Nov 1914 He died of wounds received at the First Battle of Ypres. The son of Harry & Lucy Jane Smith of Roberts Cottage, Higher Sea Lane, Charmouth, Dorset, Bertram is buried in Bethune Town Cemetery, France, grave I. D. 6. He was awarded the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

HUGH LEIGH NORRIS,M.R.C.S.,L.R.C.P.Feet Surgeon Norris, who was lost on H.M.S. "Indefatigable" on May 31st, was educated at Dulwich College and St Thomas's Hospital, where he qualified in 1898. His activities were not confined to his professional work, for he was good at games, and his sketches showed no small ability. He inherited from his grandfather, Captain Marryat, the famous writer, considerable skill with the pen, and he was a contributor to many journals, including Punch, besides publishing two books, "Rice Papers" and "China Side." St Thomas's Hospital Gazette, September 1916

To the Glory of God/and in proud and loving memory of Lieut /WILLIAM MANDEVILLE SANKEY M.C. 2nd Monmouth Regiment, who died at Ypres/March 23rd 1918. from wounds received the/previous day,aged 23 years (only son of Colonel/A.R.M. SANKEY, Royal Engineers). The only son of Colonel  A.R.M. Sankey. R.E. He often stayed, when a boy, at the Rectory, with the Rev. Spencer Simms. He was Lieutenant in the 2nd Monmouth Regiment and died at Ypres on 23rd March 1918 from wounds received the previous day. He is buried Ypres Reservoir Cemetery. Plot III. D.24.

The brass memorial records the death of Sankey. His family must have thought in high regard of Rev. Simms to have placed the memorial to their son in the church.

CAPTAIN A.J. S. H. HALES, M.C.
1ST BATTALION THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S
(WILTSHIRE REGIMENT).
ARTHUR JOHN SHIRLEY HOARE HALES was the eldest son of Major–
General Arthur Hales CO.R., 1850), Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, and Com–
mandant of the Straits Settlements, and of Maria Frances his wife, of
Lansdown Crescent, Bath.
He entered the School in 1895, and was in the XV in 1899. He went up to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in 1900, and took honours in Classical Moderations and in the Final History School. He played football for his College, and for the Harlequins, and for the Monkstown Team of 1902. He was also a Rowing Blue, and rowed against Cambridge in 1904 and 1905. He then went as a Master to Radley College.
With a sympathetic understanding of boys, and loving the work of a Schoolmaster, he, nevertheless, at once took his decision when War broke out. He enlisted in August, 1914, went to the Front in November, and, after being wounded in January, obtained his Commission in February, 1915, "for gallantry in the Field." He was awarded the Military Cross in April, 1915.
"For conspicuous gallantry at Spanbroek Molen on March 17th,1915, in leading the attack after being twice wounded, and subsequently for placing other wounded men under cover.“ He desisted from this work only when he was wounded a third time in
the leg. He was mentioned in Despatches on May 31st, 1915, and was promoted
Captain in the following July. A year later, being Second in Command of his Regiment, he saw one of the Companies in difficulties, and, going to its assistance, he was shot by a sniper at Leipzig Redoubt on July 5th, 1916.Age 34. "Well done" were his last words to his men, as he "led them on magnificently

Charles Hales was born on 23rd March 1886 in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, the elder son of Major-General Arthur Hales of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Commandant of the Straits Settlements, and Maria Frances, née Hoare.
He was educated at Sedbergh School, where he excelled on the firing range, being a marksman of the School’s Rifle Corps in 1904. He also participated in the school’s Debating Society, speaking on motions that ‘A knowledge of Greek is essential to good education’ and ‘Ghosts are to some extent real’. Whilst at Merton he took part in the 1907 Henley Regatta.
He was gazetted on 2nd December 1914, but was later forced by ill health to relinquish his command, on 19th April 1916.
He died of illness  at Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire,contracted on active service, on 22nd November 1917, aged 31, and is buried in Bathwick (St. Mary the Virgin) Churchyard, Somerset.