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1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
1st Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment were in Jersey when war broke out in August 1914. They proceeded to France on the
21st of August, landing at Le Havre, they joined Lines of Communication Defence Troops. On the 14th of September 1914 the 1sy Battalion joined 8th Brigade, 3rd Division. The Battle of Le Cateau, The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne on the 30th of September they transferred to 14th Brigade, 5th Division. The Battles of La Bassee and Messines and The First Battle of Ypres. In 1915 they were in action at The Second Battle of Ypres and the Capture of Hill 60. On the 12th of January 1916 they transferred to 95th Brigade in same Division.
In March 1916 5th Division took over a section of front line between St Laurent Blangy and the southern edge of Vimy Ridge, near Arras. They moved south in July to reinforce The Somme and were in action at, High Wood, The Battle of Guillemont, The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, The Battle of Morval and The Battle of Le Transloy. In October they moved to Festubertand remained there until March 1917 when they moved in preparation for the Battles of Arras. On 7 September 1917 the 5th Division moved out of the line for a period of rest before, being sent to Flanders where they were in action during the Third Battle of Ypres. %th Division was sent to Italy and took up positions in the line along the River Piave in late January 1918. They were recalled to France to assist with the German Advance on the 7th of April 1918 and were in action during the Battles of the Lys. On the 14th of August 1918 the 5th Division was withdrawn for two weeks rest. Then moved to The Somme where they were more or less in continuous action over the old battlegrounds until late October 1918 and saw action in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and the Final Advance in Picardy. At the Armistice they were in the area of Le Quesnoy and moved to Belgium to the area around Namur and Wavre in December and demobilisation began.
21st of August 1913 Lecture
21st Aug 1914 On the Move
22nd Aug 1914 Reservists
23rd Aug 1914 In Camp
24th Aug 1914 On the Move
25th Aug 1914 Duties
26th Aug 1914 Duties
27th Aug 1914 On the Move
28th Aug 1914 Duties
29th Aug 1914 On the Move
30th Aug 1914 On the Move
31st Aug 1914 On the Move
14th September 1914 Further Advance
15th September 1914 Shelling
16th September 1914 Difficulties
17th September 1914 Heavy Bombardment
18th September 1914 Night Attacks
19th September 1914 Attack Repulsed
20th September 1914 Reliefs
21st September 1914 Attacks
22nd September 1914 Reliefs
23rd September 1914 Patrols
24th September 1914 Artillery Exchange
26th September 1914 Aircraft Assists
27th September 1914 Continuing action around bridges
28th September 1914 Bridges
29th September 1914 Ongoing fighting on all fronts
30th September 1914 September Intelligence Summary
1st of October 1914 A Withdrawal
2nd of October 1914 Moonlit Relief
3rd of October 1914 On the March
4th of October 1914 On the March
5th of October 1914 A New HQ
6th of October 1914 Orders to Move
7th of October 1914 A Train Ride
11th of October 1914 New Billets 
12th of October 1914 Orders to Advance
13th of October 1914 Advance Resumed
13th October 1914 Heavy casualties
14th of October 1914 Supporting the French
15th of October 1914 Advance Ordered to Continue
16th of October 1914 Empty German Trenches
17th of October 1914 An Advance
18th Oct 1914 Attack Made
18th of October 1914 Advance Resumed
19th of October 1914 Slow Progress
20th of October 1914 A Fluid Front
22nd of October 1914 Our Line Attacked
23rd of October 1914 Withdrawing to a New Line
24th of October 1914 Germans Attack
25th of October 1914 More Attacks
26th of October 1914 Germans Repulsed
27th of October 1914 A Counter Attack
28th of October 1914 Counter Attack Falters
29th of October 1914 Determined German Attack
29th October 1914 Attack
30th Oct 1914 In Action
30th of October 1914 German Attack Fades
31st of October 1914 A Counter Attack
2nd of November 1914 Three Groups Organised
3rd of November 1914 Situation Report
5th of November 1914 French Attack Falters
8th of November 1914 Half-hearted Attacks
12th Nov 1914 Tales from the Front
14th of November 1914 Reliefs
15th Nov 1914 Defences
15th of November 1914 2nd Corps Reorganise
16th Nov 1914 Trenches
17th of November 1914 Relief
18th of November 1914 Shell Fire
19th of November 1914 Movements
22nd of November 1914 In the Line
23rd of November 1914 Germans Digging In
24th of November 1914 Our Artillery Effective
25th of November 1914 Royal Scots Shelled
26th of November 1914 Quiet and Misty
28th of November 1914 On the Move
29th of November 1914 Infantry Distribution
2nd of December 1914 A Moonlit Night
3rd of December 1914 Instructions
4th of December 1914 Reliefs
4th of December 1914 Relief
5th of December 1914 Relief Complete
6th of December 1914 Frosty Night
8th of December 1914 Poor Conditions
10th of December 1914 Naval Victory Cheered
14th of December 1914 French on the Offensive
15th of December 1914 Operations Resumed
16th of December 1914 Instruction
18th of December 1914 No Progress
21st of December 1914 Howitzers Silenced
25th of December 1914 Fraternization
26th of December 1914 Messines Square Targetted
31st of December 1914 Message
4th of January 1915 Trench Work
7th of January 1915 Very Wet Weather
8th of January 1915 Trenches Damaged
10th of January 1915 Flooding and Baling
15th of January 1915 Germans Fire Slowly
16th of January 1915 Squally Weather
18th of January 1915 Artillery Active
19th of January 1915 Thaw Sets In
21st of January 1915 Wulverghem Shelled
22nd of January 1915 Aeroplane-Aided Shelling
23rd of January 1915 Quiet Day
26th of January 1915 Cheshire's Sniping Effective
7th of February 1915 Sectors Rearranged
10th of February 1915 Artillery Redistribution
11th of February 1915 Hostile MG Shelled
13th of February 1915 Trenches Maintained
14th of February 1915 Germans Plan an Attack?
15th of February 1915 Heavy Rain
16th of February 1915 Baling All Night
20th of February 1915 A Violent Explosion
21st of February 1915 8th Howitzers Leave
22nd of February 1915 Cheering and Rockets
24th of February 1915 Snipers Checked
27th of February 1915 Brigade Relief
1st of March 1915 Quiet
13th of March 1915 Booby Trap
16th March 1915 Information
18th of March 1915 Trench Mortars
21st of March 1915 Intelligence
30th of March 1915 Hostile MG Damaged?
31st March 1915 Working Parties
31st of March 1915 Staff
1st of April 1915 Situation Normal
4th of April 1915 A White Flag
7th of April 1915 Mostly Quiet
17th of April 1915 Mines Exploded
17th April 1915 5th Division Attack
21st Apr 1915 Bombardment
1st of May 1915 Gas Casualties
11th May 1915 1st Devons relieve 5th Cheshires In the evening 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment left their bivouac and proceeded to relieve the 5th Bn Cheshire Regiment in the trenches near Oosthoek on the Yser canal.
12th May 1915 1st Devons suffer casualties from own artillery. The 1st Devon's record a fairly quiet day, except for the shelling of trench 27. by the enemy, at the cost of several casualties. During the evening our own Artillery, unfortunately placed several shells, in our own trench 28. seriously wounding one man, and killed other ranks 3. wounded other ranks 11. to hospital other ranks 5.
18th of May 1915 Revenge Shelling
29th May 1915 Instruction
30th of July 1915 Detrainment
2nd of August 1915 Trench Inspection
10th of August 1915 Relief of French
15th of August 1915 3 Salvos Fired
1st Sep 1915 On the March
10th Sep 1915 Reliefs
10th of September 1915 Enemy Hit Dummy Battery
11th of September 1915 Changes of Command
1st of January 1916 Night-time Shelling
2nd of January 1916 Direct Hits
1st of February 1916
10th of February 1916 MG Coys Join
1st of March 1916 Division Halts
4th of March 1916 Snow All Day
7th of March 1916 Torpedoes Fired
16th of March 1916 British Plane Shot Down
12th of April 1916 House Demolished
13th of April 1916 Brigade Relief
16th of April 1916 DCLI CO Killed
2nd Jul 1916 Shelling
2nd of July 1916 New Orders
20th of July 1916 Positions of Units
24th of July 1916 Reliefs
25th of July 1916 Enemy Advances
27th of July 1916 Gas Shell Attack
5th of August 1916 Divisional Dispositions
27th of August 1916 Divisional Dispositions
31st of August 1916 Warning Order Issued
1st of September 1916 Enemy SOS
4th of September 1916 Units Mixed Up
8th of September 1916 Prepare to Move
19th of September 1916 In the Front Line
21st of September 1916 Situation Normal
22nd of September 1916 Dispositions
23rd of September 1916 Reliefs
25th of September 1916 Instructions for Tanks
25th September 1916 Attack Made
28th of September 1916 Heavy Showers
30th of September 1916 Dispositions
13th of October 1916 Reliefs
31st of October 1916 Distribution
30th of November 1916 Enemy Baling Out
2nd of December 1916 Raiding Party Fails
4th of December 1916 German Trenches Damaged
6th of December 1916 Working Parties Dispersed
10th of December 1916 Working Parties Dispersed
14th of December 1916 A Combined Shoot
20th of December 1916 German TMs Active
21st of December 1916 Ferme Cour d'Avoue Shelled
22nd of December 1916 Quiet Day
24th of December 1916 Germans Very Active
29th of December 1916 Artillery Quieter
5th of January 1917 Aeroplanes Active
6th of January 1917 German Guns Quiet
9th of January 1917 Spotted Dog Shelled
13th of January 1917 Retaliation "Feeble"
17th of January 1917 Guns Active
20th of January 1917 Active Artillery
21st of January 1917 Our TMs Active
26th of January 1917 TMs Busy
30th of January 1917 Hostile TMs Busy
1st of February 1917 Balloon Spotted
3rd of February 1917 Artillery Active
6th of February 1917 Fairly Quiet
7th of February 1917 Feeble Retaliation
9th of February 1917 Little TM Retaliation
12th of February 1917 Artillery Quiet
15th of February 1917 Enemy TMs Fall Short
17th of February 1917 TMs Quiet
19th of February 1917 Our Guns Active
21st of February 1917 Our Guns Active
28th of February 1917 Artillery Quiet
1st of March 1917 POWs Taken
4th of March 1917 Damage Caused by Heavies
6th of March 1917 Brigades Attached
8th of March 1917 Divisional Relief
9th of March 1917 TMs Very Active
11th of March 1917 Auchy Heavily Shelled
14th of March 1917 Pekin Trench Hit
15th of March 1917 Brigade Relief
20th of March 1917 Composite Division Formed
24th of March 1917 Pioneers On the Move
27th of March 1917 In Corps Reserve
2nd of April 1917 Positions
8th of April 1917 HQ Moves
11th of April 1917 Dispositions
12th of April 1917 Orders and Reliefs
13th of April 1917 A Push Forward
14th of April 1917 Orders to Move
15th April 1917 Battalion moved up to relieve both 1st Cheshires and 16th Warwicks in Outpost Line.
17th April 1917 Small side slip Southwards in which we took over one Coy. from 43 Canadian Regt.
18th of April 1917 Divisional Front Readjusted
20th of April 1917 Orders to Attack
21st of April 1917 Operations Postponed
22nd of April 1917 Warning Order Received
22nd April 1917 oved up at 1730 hours to relieve 15th Royal Warwick Regt.
23rd of April 1917 Reliefs Complete
24th of April 1917 35 Minute Bombardment
25th of April 1917 Canadians Take Over Front
28th of April 1917 Rest and Training
2nd of May 1917 13th Inf Bde Moves
5th of May 1917 Wood Shelled
6th of May 1917 Enemy Guns Active
8th of May 1917 Orders to Attack
8th May 1917 Operation 8th/9th May 1917.
9th of May 1917 No Further Advance
9th May 1917 Directly after midnight 8th/9th we moved in to position.
10th of May 1917 Enemy Concentration Reported
11th of May 1917 Enemy Guns Active
12th of May 1917 Bailleul Shelled
13th of May 1917 Front Line Shelled
15th of May 1917 Very Quiet Day
17th of May 1917 A Surprise Attack
20th of May 1917 Guns Active
21st of May 1917 Quiet Night
22nd of May 1917 Quiet Day
24th of May 1917 Relief Completed
26th of May 1917 Quiet Day
31st May 1917 Work and Training
2nd of June 1917
9th of June 1917 A Relief
10th of June 1917 Minor Op Planned
14th of June 1917 Relief
15th of June 1917 Relief Completed
16th June 1917 Quiet Night
17th of June 1917 Quiet Day
18th of June 1917 Aircraft Active
19th of June 1917 Quiet Day
21st of June 1917 Brigade Relief Completed
26th of June 1917 Quiet Day
28th of June 1917 Successful Operation
1st of July 1917 Front Line Adjusted
4th Jul 1917 Reliefs
5th of July 1917 Our Trenches Damaged
6th of July 1917 A Brigade Relief
10th of July 1917 A Raid Ordered
12th of July 1917 Back Areas Shelled
17th of July 1917 Quiet Time
18th of July 1917 Direct Hits Made
19th of July 1917 Situation Quiet
21st of July 1917 Back Areas Shelled
23rd of July 1917 Minenwerfer Active
25th of July 1917 MGs Active
26th of July 1917 Very Quiet
27th of July 1917 Gas Attack
29th of July 1917 Brigade Relief
1st of August 1917 MG Activity
3rd of August 1917 Snipers Active
4th of August 1917 Hostile Shelling
7th of August 1917 A German Raid
9th August 1917 Battalion relieved by 1st Devon Regt. 95th Brigade.
10th of August 1917 Mostly Quiet
13th of August 1917 Two Minute Barrage
16th of August 1917 MGs Active
19th of August 1917 Gas Drums Plan
21st August 1917 Reliefs
22nd of August 1917 Railway Shelled
25th of August 1917 TMs Hit Oppy Wood
27th of August 1917 Quiet Time
31st August 1917 Quiet Time
3rd of September 1917 Quiet
5th of September 1917 Brigades on the March
6th of September 1917 Gas Shelling
7th of September 1917 Training
9th of October 1917 Hostile Guns Active
10th of September 1917 Division to Move
11th of September 1917 Artillery Marches
3rd of October 1917 More Heavy Shelling
4th of October 1917 Attack Launched
5th of October 1917 Quieter Night
10th of October 1917 "Intense Barrage" Endured
11th of October 1917 Snipers Active
14th of October 1917 Training
17th of October 1917 Training
21st of October 1917 Offensive to be Resumed
27th of October 1917 Quiet Time
28th of October 1917 Enemy Guns "Above Normal"
4th of November 1917 Heavy shelling
6th of November 1917 Attack Launched
6th November 1917 Very quiet day. Relieved by 1st D.C.L.I. who relieved the left half of the Battalion, and 1st Devon Regt. who relieved the right half.
8th of November 1917 Fairly Quiet
11th of November 1917 Quiet Time
14th of November 1917 95th Brigade Entrain
18th of November 1917 121st Battery Moves
19th of November 1917 Pioneers Move
26th of November 1917 HQ Closes and Re-opens
27th of November 1917 Entraining for Italy
28th of November 1917 Entraining for Italy
9th of April 1918 Orders
10th of April 1918 Relief Postponed
12th of April 1918 Attack Ordered
13th of April 1918 Enemy Attacks
15th of April 1918 Another Enemy Attack
16th of April 1918 Situation Quiet
16th April 1918 Moved up to the line in the evening and relieved 1st Devon Regt
16th April 1918 Operational Order 25.
18th of April 1918 Artillery Active
19th of April 1918 A Raiding Party
22nd of April 1918 A Gas Attack
23rd of April 1918 Constant Shelling
25th of April 1918 Division Attacks
28th of April 1918 Artillery Quieter
30th of April 1918 Artillery Very Active
3rd of May 1918 Enemy Artillery Active
3rd May 1918 On the night 3rd/4th we relieved the 1st Devon Regt.
4th of May 1918 Situation Quiet
10th of May 1918 Gas Shells Used
15th of May 1918 Our Heavies Busy
17th of May 1918 Active Artillery
22nd of May 1918 Enemy Active
22nd May 1918 Preparations
23rd of May 1918 Quiet Night
23rd May 1918 Relief completed
30th of May 1918 A Relief
5th of June 1918 Brigade Relief
12th June 1918 Baths
13th of June 1918 Brigade Relief Completed
15th of June 1918 Operation Proposed
20th of June 1918 Situation Unchanged
22nd of June 1918 Slight Activity
25th of June 1918 WO95/1510/4
29th of June 1918 Enemy Guns Active
1st of July 1918 Situation Unchanged
7th of July 1918 Gas Shelling
12th of July 1918 Back Areas Bombed
18th of July 1918 Our Guns Active
24th of July 1918 Relief Completed
28th of July 1918 Quiet
31st of July 1918 Relief Completed
9th of August 1918 Training
10th of August 1918 Training
13th of August 1918 Entraining Commenced
15th of August 1918 Training
21st of August 1918 Division Advances
23rd of August 1918 Division Attacks
24th of August 1918 5th Division Co-operates
25th of August 1918 Brigades Move
26th of August 1918 Enemy Retreats
27th of August 1918 Quiet
28th of August 1918 Situation Unchanged
30th of August 1918 Advance Continues
31st of August 1918 Counter-Attack
1st of September 1918 Attack Sucessful
2nd of September 1918 Strongly Defended
3rd of September 1918 Enemy Withdraws
4th of September 1918 Divisional Relief
5th of September 1918 Rest and Training
17th of September 1918 Back Areas Bombed
18th of September 1918 Attack Commences
19th of September 1918 Enemy Guns Quiet
20th of September 1918 Quiet Time
22nd of September 1918 Field Guns Active
30th of September 1918 Divisional Relief
20th of October 1918
23rd of October 1918 Heavy Bombardment
7th November 1918 Work on the bridge was forced to be cancelled owing to hostile Machine Gun fire.
8th November 1918 1st Devon report cyclists and cavalry patrol passed through
10th of November 1918 Operations Continue
11th of November 1918 Armistice and a Report
13th of November 1918 Resting
10th December 1918 New Billets Arranged
10th of January 1919 Locations
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Bole James Joseph. Pte. (d.14th Apr 1918)
- Clifton MC. Hubert Everard. 2nd Lt. (d.4th Oct 1916)
- Cornish Albert William. CQMS. (d.19th Sep 1914)
- Dolbear George Edwin. Pte. (d.9th May 1917)
- Gilliland MC. Hodgson Stewart. Lt.
- Harris MM Henry Percy. Sgt. (d.17th November 1917)
- Holland George Walter. Pte. (d.27th Oct 1918)
- Howes Arthur Harvey. Pte. (d.2nd May 1918)
- Howes Arthur Harvey. Pte. (d.2nd May 1918)
- Howes Arthur Harvey. Pte. (d.2nd May 1918)
- Howes Arthur Harvey. Pte. (d.2nd May 1918)
- Howes Arthur Harvey. Pte. (d.2nd May 1918)
- Kite William George. Pte. (d.24th Nov 1918)
- Lane Jesse. Sgt.Mjr.
- Malone Brian Wilmot . 2nd Lt. (d.23rd April 1917)
- Penfound George Frederick. Pte. (d.12th May 1915)
- Stirman Herbert. Pte. (d.15th April 1917)
- Tuffery MM. Harold. Cpl. (d.20th Jul 1916 )
- Wagstaff Albert Victor. L/Cpl. (d.25th May 1915)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment from other sources.
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Pte. Arthur Harvey Howes 20th Hussars (d.2nd May 1918) Arthur Howes was a proud gentle man.
He was an impeccable cavalry man and his parents would have been very proud of him.
He was a Cheltenham soldier transferred from the 20th Hussars to the 1st Devonshires where unfortunately he lost his life in the Neippe Forest.
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Pte. Arthur Harvey Howes 1st Devonshire Regiment 20th Hussars (d.2nd May 1918) Arthur Howes was a Cheltenham soldier born in 1888. He enrolled in 1909. He was a proud man. He lived with my great grandparents after losing his mum at an early age. Arthur worked in Cheltenham train station before enrolling to the Army. He is mentioned in the 20th Hussars War Diaries checking trenches around the Menin Ridge and also in the hard back book 'Leaving All That Was Dear'.
Arthur was transferred to the 1st Devonshire Regiment around November 1917. He was quoted by my grandmother, who was 10 years of age, saying after his leave he really had a bad feeling about returning to the battle fields.
He did return and fight until loosing his life in the forest of Neippe. He lies in Morbeque Cemetery France. And we thank him greatly for giving up his life.
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Pte. Arthur Harvey Howes 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment (d.2nd May 1918) Arthur Howes was my great great uncle, he was a 20th Hussars soldier but was transferred around Sept 1917 to the 1st Devonshires. We understand Arthur lost his life around the Nippe Forest when the Germans used gas. God bless you Arthur.
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Pte. Arthur Harvey Howes 20th Hussars (d.2nd May 1918) Arthur Howes served with both the 20th Hussars and the 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment.
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Pte. Arthur Harvey Howes 1st Btn Devonshire Regiment (d.2nd May 1918) Arthur Howes served with the 1st Devonshires.
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2nd Lt. Hubert Everard Clifton MC. 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment (d.4th Oct 1916) Hubert Clifton's appointment as a temporary 2nd Lieutenant was gazetted on 11th December 1914 and he was formally commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Special Reserve of Officers with effect from the Thirtieth day of December 1914.
He was posted to the 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment and embarked for France in June 1915. At some point, we are aware that he was wounded, but appears to have recovered fairly
It seems likely that he was in The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, a subsidiary offensive in the Battle of the Somme. On about the 20th of September 1916, he was wounded in the forearm, which caused a severe haemorrhage and brought back to England. He became so ill on the hospital train that he was taken off the train and transferred to Fort Pitt Military Hospital, Chatham. Pneumonia supervened and 2nd Lieutenant Hubert Everard Clifton died on Thursday, 4th October with his parents present at his bedside. He is buried in Torquay.
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Pte. Herbert Stirman 1st Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.15th April 1917) Private Herbert Stirman was born in Huddersfield, where his parents lived briefly during their long journey from Edingthorpe in Norfolk, via Newark in Nottinghamshire eventually settling in Birmingham - they came from a long line of agricultural labourers and all eventually settled in the Midlands with new industrial trades.
There are few details of Herbert's service, but his final journey was on HT Arcadian, going from Salonika to Alexandria when it was torpedoed by a German submarine in the Aegean Sea on 15 April 1917, the ship sank in 6 minutes. There were over 1300 troops and crew on this ship, but 277 perished, including Herbert, listed as drowned at sea. He is commemorated at Mikra Memorial Cemetery in Thessaloniki, Greece. He was 34 years old.
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Sgt. Henry Percy Harris MM 8th Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.17th November 1917) This is an extract from the book "For Our Tomorrow" about Combpyne-Rousdon in the First World War.
Henry Harris was born in Combpyne in the spring of 1893, the first child of Eli and Amelia (Minnie) Harris, who went on to have a further ten children together. The Harris’s were long time residents of Combpyne having been in the village since at least the beginning of the nineteenth century. The family lived at Little Bulmoor Farm where Eli was a carter. By 1911 Henry had left home and lodged with coachman Charles Honeybun and his family in Chard Street, Axminster, working as a farm labourer. At some point Henry moved to Rose Cottage in Whitford and began work on the Rousdon Estate (39). No record of a marriage has been found but between 1911 and 1914 Henry decided to become a regular soldier and joined the 1st Battalion the Devonshire Regiment. He was with his battalion in Jersey when war was declared and entered the ‘theatre of war’ on 22 August 1914. His regimental number, 9430, suggests he joined up in 1912, possibly initially as a territorial.
The 1st Devons landed at Le Havre on 22 August, where they joined ‘lines of communication’ defence troops, part of the BEF. Henry was rapidly in combat however as the battalion took part in the Battle of Le Cateau on 26th August, helping to hold up the German advance into France, and the Battle of the Marne in the second week of September which pushed back the Germans from the outskirts of Paris. Later in the autumn the battalion saw action at La Bassée and took part in the stand at Festubert.
My research has found that he received the Military Medal for gallantry on the Western Front where he was wounded, repatriated to England to recover, which was when he died.
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Sgt.Mjr. Jesse Lane 1st Btn. Devonshire Rgt. The 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment was in Jersey, Channel Islands during August 1914 when WWI broke out. Jesse Lane married my grandmother on 15th August 1914 in St Helier, Jersey and the 1st Battalion shipped out to France on 21st August 1914. He was gassed in the trenches but survived the War.
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Cpl. Harold Tuffery MM. 1st Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.20th Jul 1916 ) Harold Tuffery was killed in action on the 20th July 1916, aged 26. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
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Pte. William George Kite 1st (Garr.) Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.24th Nov 1918) Aged 31 when he died, William Kite is buried in the Jerusalem War Cemetery and Memorial in Israel.
He was the husband of Mabel Kite of 5 Mill Lane, West Twerton, Bath.
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Pte. George Walter Holland 1st Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.27th Oct 1918) George Holland is interred at the Etaples Military Cemetery.
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CQMS. Albert William Cornish 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment (d.19th Sep 1914) Albert Cornish was born in Bideford, Devon in 1877, the son of Emily Cornish from Kilkhampton in Cornwall, and half brother to Stanley, Archibald and Lilian Hole. From humble beginnings Albert sought a career in the army, but his life was sadly cut short on the 19th of September 1914. He is remembered with honour at the Vailly British Cemetery in France and commemorated on the war memorial at Abbotskerswell church, where there is also the inscription "died a hero" on his sister Lilians' grave stone. He left behind a wife Jessie and three children, Hilda, Sidney and Edna.
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Pte. James Joseph Bole 1st Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.14th Apr 1918) James Bole enlisted in Westminster, he was the son of the late J. W. Bole and Mrs. Bole, of Dublin. He was killed in action in Flanders aged 36 and is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial.
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2nd Lt. Brian Wilmot Malone 1st battalion Devonshires (d.23rd April 1917) Brian was educated at Rugby and passed through the Royal Military College to become a 2nd lieutenant with the 1st Bn Devonshires,first arriving overseas May 1915.
He came from a long line of military officers, his father being of the Worcestershire Regiment and great grandfather had been officers with the Royal Navy. Alas at this time we have no personal information on his short life in the war except to say that he was killed during the battle of Arras and is remembered on the Gulval memorial and at the Arras Memorial.
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Lt. Hodgson Stewart Gilliland MC. 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment Hodgson Stuart Gilliland was born at Exmouth, Devon and enlisted in the 13th Hussars in June 1897, aged 14 years. He witnessed active service out in South Africa from February 1901 until the end of hostilities, during which period he was appointed a Trumpeter. Transferring as a Sergeant-Trumpeter to the 8th Hussars in April 1912, he was serving out in India on the outbreak of hostilities, but was quickly embarked for active duty and arrived in France in November 1914.
In April 1916, Gilliland was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Devonshire Regiment, and joined the 1st Battalion in time for the Somme operations that summer. But his time at the Front was short-lived, for in an operation on 28 July he received a bayonet wound in his left leg and sustained shell-shock from the explosion of an H.E. shell, injuries that necessitated his immediate evacuation to England - back home the former musician was no doubt devastated to learn that the resultant loss of hearing in his right ear would be permanent. Better news was announced in the London Gazette of 18 October 1917, however, when he discovered that he had been awarded the MC:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in charge of a patrol. Finding that the enemy’s wire could not be cut without giving the alarm, with one N.C.O. he crawled under the wire and lay on the enemy’s parapet for three-quarters of an hour, gaining valuable information. While he was returning the enemy opened a heavy machine-gun fire, but he skilfully withdrew his men, and, though wounded himself, helped carry a wounded man back. He brought back a valuable report.’
Gilliland, who was advanced to Lieutenant in October 1917, was placed on the Army Reserve in August 1919, but, as accompanying research confirms, quickly returned to uniform as a Cadet Officer in the Royal Irish Constabulary, in which capacity he served in “The Troublesâ€. He died in 1956.
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Pte. George Frederick Penfound 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment (d.12th May 1915) Tues 11th 1915 May. Resting in bivouac, in the evening proceeded to relieve the 5th Bn Cheshire Regiment in the trenches about Oosthoek abutting the Yser canal.
Wed 12th May 1915. A fairly quiet day, except for the shelling of trench 27. by the enemy, at the cost of several casualties. During the evening our own Artillery, unfortunately placed several shells, in our own trench 28. seriously wounding one man, and killed other ranks 3. wounded other ranks 11. to hospital other ranks 5.
The above extract is taken from the officer of the day diary.
My great uncle was one of the 3 killed. George Frederick Penfound aged 30 of
39 Monument st Devonport Plymouth. I have my great uncle's medals, cap badge and death plaque, and yearly I place a poppy cross,at the memorial at St Aubyns Church in Devonport.
He is buried in Plot1, Row D, Grave 3 in Spoilbank, Zillebeke, Belgium.
Nobody from the family has yet visited, it is something I hope to do before I die.
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