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- 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment



   14th (1st Portsmouth) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment was raised at Portsmouth on the 3rd of September 1914 by the Mayor and a local Committee. After initial training close to home, the battalion was adopted by the War Office on the 30th of May 1915. In October they moved to Witley to join 116th Brigade, 39th Division. They proceeded to France, landing at Le Havre on the 6th of March 1916, the division concentrating near Blaringhem. On the 30th June 1916 they were in action in an attack near Richebourg l'Avoue with the Sussex battalions suffered heavy casualties. They were in action during the Battles of the Somme, including, the fighting on the Ancre, The Battle of Thiepval Ridge, The Battle of the Ancre heights and the capture of Schwaben Reddoubt and Stuff Trench as well as The Battle of the Ancre. In 1917 they fought in The Battle of Pilkem Ridge, The Battle of Langemarck, The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, The Battle of Polygon Wood and The Second Battle of Passchendaele. In early 1918 the army was reorganised and on the 22nd of March the 14th Hampshires were disbanded in France, with the troops transferring to other units, including the 20th Entrenching Battalion.

3rd Mar 1916 14th Hants in action  14th. Hants as part of the 116th Brigade, attacked the German defences at Beaumomt Hamel.

23rd Apr 1916 Reliefs  location map

9th May 1916 Reliefs  location map

21st Jun 1916 Reliefs Completed  location map

28th Jun 1916 Reliefs

30th Jun 1916 Reliefs

3rd Sep 1916 In Action

16th of October 1916 Into the trenches

30th Jul 1917 Orders  location map

31st Jul 1917 Attack Made  location map

27th Aug 1917 Reliefs

8th Sep 1917 Reliefs

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment?


There are:5242 items tagged 14th Battalion, Hampshire 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.


Those known to have served with

14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Chalmers Henry William. Pte (d.30th June 1916)
  • Chard Albert. Pte (d.3rd Sep 1916)
  • Dowse Alfred J.. Pte.
  • Hoare Sidney George Frederick. Pte. (d.30th June 1916)
  • Holloway William George. Pte. (d.3rd Sep 1916)
  • Hunt Benjamin Harry. Cpl (d.1st Feb 1917)
  • Kirby Cecil Ernest. Pte. (d.1st Aug 1917)
  • Kirby Cecil Ernest. Pte. (d.1st August 1917)
  • Peachey Alfred Pelham. Pte. (d.26th Sep 1917)
  • Roles Albert Edward. Pte. (d.16th September 1917)
  • Russell Francis Morris. Pte (d.10th August 1917)
  • Sheppard William Jesse. Pte. (d.1st February 1917)
  • Thompson Edgar Wylde. Pte. (d.14th Nov 1916)
  • Walker George Henry James. Pte. (d.29th Mar 1918)
  • Webber Frederick Robert. Pte (d.30th May 1916)
  • Wheals Charles Henry. Pte. (d.1st Aug 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 Battalion, Hampshire Regiment from other sources.


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  Pte. Cecil Ernest Kirby 14th Battalion Hampshire Regiment (d.1st August 1917)

Cecil Kirby was born in 1886, in Dundridge, (no address as there was only 5/6 houses) and was a railway worker on the LSRW. He became Pte Kirby in the 14th Battalion, (the 1st “Portsmouth Pals') Hampshire Regiment. He was obviously a volunteer in Kitchener's Army. After final training in Aldershot, he moved from Folkstone to France in May 2016. 14th (Service) Battalion (1st Portsmouth). Formed at Portsmouth on 3rd of September 1914 by the Mayor and a local Committee. Adopted by War Office on 30 May 1915. October 1915 they moved to Witley and came under orders of 116th Brigade in 39th Division. Landed at Le Havre 6th of March 1916.

At the time of his enlisting, Cecil was living at 14 Somerset Rd. Portswood. Lucy R was living just down the road at Northlands Rd. Cecil had a sister, Rose, who I do remember as “Auntie Rose”, a lovely old lady, who, for our wedding present, gave us a large tin of tea.

In 1915, probably after he joined up, Cecil (28 yrs) married Lucy Rose Purkiss,(nee Stone) a widow, aged 40. She was from Swanmore, so maybe childhood sweethearts? It was she who received the widow's pension thereafter.

He probably took part in the Battle of the Somme. Portsmouth had two pals battalions that served on the Western Front. The 1st Pompey Pals, 14th Battalion Hampshire Regiment, was the first to go over the top. They led a brutal assault on German positions on 3rd of September 1916, just north of Hamel on the River Ancre, France. Of the 570 men who went into action that morning 457 became casualties, a vast majority of these being fatalities.

Cecil Kirby must have survived that battle. As the Third Battle of Ypres, 1917, involving the 14th Battalion, started on 331st of July 1917, when the battalion had to attack the Geluvelt plateau. As part of the Battle of Pilkem Ridge. The Germans were well entrenched on higher ground than the attacking forces, and the weather was foul, driving rain, to add to the thick unmovable mud. The Germans hit hard with high explosive shelling and also used Mustard Gas.

Cecil Kirby was killed on 1st of August 1917. He was one of 27,001 casualties, of which 3,697 were killed.







  Pte Francis Morris Russell 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment (d.10th August 1917)

Mr. and Mrs. F.W. Russell, of Week Farm, Ventnor, received news on Tuesday last that their son, Pte. Francis M. Russell, of the 14th Hants, attached M.G. Company, had been wounded by bullet in his right shoulder. He has been serving in France for the last 4 months. We are glad to say his wound is not serious and that he is now in Hospital in England doing well. Mr. and Mrs. F.W. Russell, of Week Farm, have received the sad news that their son, Pte. Francis M. Russell, was killed in action in Flanders on August 10th. His company officer has written: "It is with sincere regret that I have to inform you that your son was killed on the night of the 10th inst. He was accompanying an officer who was on duty, and a shell fell quite near them, killing your son instantly and severely wounded the officer. I would ask you to accept the very sincere sympathy of the officers of the company. He was one of our best and most reliable men, and a brave soldier.

Peter Russell






  Pte. William Jesse Sheppard 14th (Service) Battalion Hampshire Regiment (d.1st February 1917)

William Sheppard is buried at Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, he was the brother-in-law of Peter Alexander Pope, my great-great grandfather (who was also killed a year later).







  Pte. Charles Henry Wheals 14th Btn. Hampshire Regiment (d.1st Aug 1917)

Charles Wheals was killed in action on 1st of August 1917 during the Battle for Pilckem Ridge.







  Pte Albert Chard 14th Btn. Hampshire Regiment (d.3rd Sep 1916)

Albert Chard was my Great Uncle. I don't know much about him except the 1911 census states he was a fish fryer.

Valerie Johnson






  Pte Henry William Chalmers 14th Battalion Hampshire Regiment (d.30th June 1916)

Henry William Chalmers was 19 years old.







  Pte. Alfred J. Dowse 1st. Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment

Alfred Dowse was a brother of my maternal grandmother, who sadly I only ever met just before he died. He served with the 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, was wounded (we think with shell shock) in October 1916 and was repatriated to England. His Medal Roll index indicates that he returned to active service,but this time it was with the 1st. Battalion, Dorset Regiment

Derek Gibson






  Pte. Sidney George Frederick Hoare 14th Btn. Hampshire Regiment (d.30th June 1916)

Sidney Hoare was my Great Uncle. He was born and lived during his early years in Lyme Regis, Dorset. His father was a Coastguard. The family later moved to Portsmouth, where they lived at the date of his death.

Sid was 23 when he died, he had no wife or children to remember him. I am writing this memorial to say he is not forgotten. Although, we never met. Sid is remembered by my brother and I. He was also remembered by his immediate family throughout their lives. There was always a photo of him, in pride of place in our Grandmother's (his sister) house.







  Pte. George Henry James Walker 14th (Service) Btn. D Coy. Hampshire Regiment. (d.29th Mar 1918)

George died of wounds on the 29th of March 1918, he was 33 years old







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