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14th (West of England) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
The 14th (West of England) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment was raised at Bristol on the 22nd of April 1915, by the Citizens Recruiting Committee, as a Bantam Battalion, with troops who were under the normal regulation minimum height of 5 feet 3 inches. After initial training close to home, on the 23rd of June the Battalion was adopted by War Office they joined 105th Brigade, 35th Division at Masham, North Yorkshire. The Division moved to Salisbury Plain for final training in August. They were ordered to Egypt in late 1915, but the order was soon cancelled and they proceeded to France, landing at Le Havre on 30 January 1916, the division concentrated east of St Omer. They were in action during the Battles of the Somme at Bazentin Ridge, Arrow Head Copse, Maltz Horn Farm and Falfemont Farm. The division received new drafts of men to replace losses suffered on the Somme, but the CO. soon discovered that these new recruits were not of the same physical standard as the original Bantams, being men of small stature from the towns, rather than the miners and farm workers who had joined up in 1915. A medical inspection was carried out and 1439 men were transferred to the Labour Corps. Their places being taken by men transferred from the disbanded yeomanry regiments, who underwent a quick training course in infantry methods at a Divisional depot set up specifically for that purpose. In 1917 they were in action during The Pursuit to the Hindenburg Line, at Houthulst Forest and The Second Battle of Passchendaele. In early 1918 the army was reorganised and on the 11th of February were disbanded in France, with troops transferring to other units, including the 13th Gloucesters.
1st Jun 1916 Under Instruction 
6th Nov 1917 Posting
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| Want to know more about 14th (West of England) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment? There are:5232 items tagged 14th (West of England) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment available in our Library
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 with14th (West of England) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Allen Charles. Pte
- Allen Thpmas.
- Balderson MM. Frederick Charles. Cpl. (d.22nd October 1917)
- Butler Henry. Pte. (d.23rd Aug 1916)
- Butt Harry Alfred. Capt. (d.8th Jun 1916)
- Cook Samuel A. Pte.
- Deakin John. Pte. (d.22nd October 1917)
- Hill William. Pte (d.23rd August 1916)
- Parsons VC. Hardy Falconer. 2nd Lt. (d.21st Aug 1917)
- Sellek Frederick Abraham. Pte.
- Stiddard Sidney George. Pte. (d.2nd Sep 1918)
- Taylor Charles Richard . Pte.
- Thomas Harold. Pte. (d.22nd Oct 1917)
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 14th (West of England) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment from other sources.
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Pte. Harold Thomas 14th Btn. Gloucestershire Regiment (d.22nd Oct 1917) Harold Thomas served with the 14th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment.
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Pte. Frederick Abraham Sellek 14th Btn. Gloucestershire Regiment Frederick Sellek was born in Withycombe on the 28th April 1896. He joined up on the 15th of May 1915 giving his adddress as 10 Park Terrace, Withycombe, Exmouth. He was single, 5' 0", 7 Stone 11 pounds, chest 34" and his occupation is listed as Gardener. He joined the 14th (Bantams) Battalion Gloucester Regimen as a Private. His Next of Kin is given as Eliza Sellek, his mother of 10 Park Terrace, Exmouth.
Frederick transferred to 194th Infantry Company, Labour Corps on the 31st of January 1917 at Dieppe. Then to KSOB on the 12th of July 1918. He transferred to the Z list on 14th of March 1919 giving his home address as
80 The Village, Withycombe Exmouth.
Frederick died in 1976
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Cpl. Frederick Charles Balderson MM. 14th Btn. Gloucestershire Regiment (d.22nd October 1917) Frederick Balderson was from Spratton, Northamptonshire, son of Julia and John Balderson. He came home on leave to show off his military medal, of which is described in the war diaries in the previous months before his death, before returning at the start of October 1917, to be killed on the 22nd and has no known grave.
His brother Bertie,fought and survived.
No photos found of Fred have been found and I have no idea where his medals are now. Fred's brother, Alfred, my great grandfather, called is own son after Fred, he fought in WW2 was wounded but survived in to his 80s.
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Pte. Samuel A Cook 14th (West of England) Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment Samuel Cook's named British War Medal was recently recovered from being scrapped for silver.
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Pte Charles Allen 14th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment Charles joined the 14th Gloucestershire Regiment at Bristol on the 29th of June 1915. He was later transferred to Labour Corps 25th October 1917. His brother of Thomas was also in the 14th Gloucesters.
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Thpmas Allen 14th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment Thomas Allen joined the 14th Battalion, Gloucester Regiment in June 1915 with his brother Charles.
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Pte. John Deakin 14th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment (d.22nd October 1917) John Deakin was born in January 1897 and was originally in the Herefordshire Regiment when he joined up, but was transferred to the Gloucestershire Regiment. He was killed at Houthulst Forest in Belgium. Remembered at Tyne Cot memorial
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Pte. Sidney George Stiddard 12th Btn. Tank Corps (d.2nd Sep 1918) Sidney Stiddard initially served as a Private in the 14th Btn. Gloucestershire Regiment before being transferred to the 7th Btn., Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment) and then with the 12th Battalion of the Tank Corps. He was killed on Monday 2nd of September 1918 during the latter stages of the Second Battle of the Somme.
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Pte. Charles Richard Taylor 14th Btn. Gloucestershire Regiment My grandfather, Charles Richard Taylor (born on 15th January 1895) and his younger brother Thomas (born on 7th December 1896) joined the Gloucestershire Regiment. (Their mother died of consumption in 1898 and they lived for a time in a children's home until their father remarried.) They were in the shipment of 'bantams' sent to France who were medically deemed not to be 'A1', i.e. they weren't strong like the miners and field workers who initially made up the Bantams. Consequently, they were transferred to 194th Coy of the Labour Corps. Thomas died in front of his brother Charles's eyes on the battle field. There is no record of my great uncle Thomas Taylor. His family and I would dearly like to find where he is placed to rest and make an honorary visit to his grave site.
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2nd Lt. Hardy Falconer Parsons VC. 1st/2nd Btn. att 14th Bn. Gloucestershire Regiment (d.21st Aug 1917)  Hardy Parsons died of wounds on 21st of August 1917, aged 20 and is buried in the Villers-Faucon Communal Cemetery in France.
He was the son of the Rev. and Mrs. J. Ash Parsons, of Leysian Mission, City Rd., London. Educated at Kingswood School, Bath, he was amedical Student at Bristol University, preparing for Medical Missionary Work
An extract from "The London Gazette," dated 17th Oct., 1917, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery during a night attack by a strong party of the enemy on a bombing post held by his command. The bombers holding the block were forced back, but Second Lieutenant Parsons remained at his post, and, single-handed, and although severely scorched and burnt by liquid fire, he continued to hold up the enemy with bombs until severely wounded. This very gallant act of self-sacrifice and devotion to duty undoubtedly delayed the enemy long enough to allow of the organisation of a bombing party, which succeeded in driving back the enemy before they could enter any portion of the trenches. The gallant officer succumbed to his wounds."
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Capt. Harry Alfred Butt 14th btn. Gloucestershire Rgt (d.8th Jun 1916) Harry Butt was the son of Rev. Canon George Holden Butt, from a letter I know that in May 1916 whilst in France he met up with his brother Lewis, who was serving with the Rifle Brigade. Unfortunately both were killed with in weeks and are laid to rest in Northern France.
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