Bovington Camp

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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Those known to have trained at
Bovington Camp
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Archer William Henry. Pte. (d.8th Apr 1916)
Church John Edward. 2Lt.
Graham MM.. Andrew. Pte.
Lowery William Matthew. Pte. (d.26th Sep 1917)
Palmer Margaret Bessie.

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258317

2Lt. John Edward "Joe" Church 20th Tank Battalion, B Company Royal Tank Corps

Joe Church was the eldest son of Rev. Edward & Florence Church, and born 10 August 1899 at Burrough Green, Cambs. He trained at Hazeley Down and Bovington to September 1919, not going overseas. He then studied at Barts Hospital, and was a doctor with the Ruanda Mission (CMS). He married Dr Decima Tracey. They retired to Little Shelford, Cambs, and he died 29 September 1989.
Judith Mary Church

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236101

Pte. Andrew Graham MM. Machine Gun Section Seaforth Highlanders

Andrew Graham (left) December 1914 prior to his departure to France
and Donald Martin who lived a half mile up the road from Andrew Graham's home. The tartan they are wearing is Seaforth MacKenzie.

Andrew Graham of the Seaforth Highlanders was a member of the first tank Crews in 1915-1916, and a machine gunnery instructor at Bovington Camp, Dorset 1917 where he met his wife, Margaret Palmer, a cook from Bovington Camp. A copy of Margaret Palmer's diary from Bovington Camp was provided to Bovington camp Military Museum, Dorset along with her Bovington service discharge papers. Also provided are photos of Andrew Graham (Sergeant) and Margaret Palmer (cook), taken at Wool, Dorset.
Andrew was the son of Alexander Graham, whilst serving with the Machine Gun section Seaforth Highlanders he was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry and devotion to duty. He recaptured a Lewis gun which had temporarily fallen into enemy hands, turned it on them, held them at bay and finally brought the gun safely within British lines.
Andrew and Margaret emigrated to New Zealand in 1920s and had two daughters who have many descendants in New Zealand, USA and Canada.
Peter Stevens

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236092

Margaret Bessie Palmer

Margaret Palmer served as a cook at Bovington Camp, here in 1917 she met her husband Andrew Graham who was a machine gunnery instructor. Andrew and Margaret emigrated to New Zealand in 1920s and had two daughters.
Peter Stevens

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221839

Pte. William Matthew Lowery 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers (d.26th Sep 1917)

William Matthew Lowery, born April 1895 in Chapeltown, Yorkshire to Pherris Lowery and his wife Annie (nee Matthews), served in WW1 as part of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. His occupation was a bricklayer, and he was the only one of his brothers to sign up for war service. He signed the military oath and declaration on the 6th January 1915 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, where he joined the Royal Scots Fusiliers in the 8th Battalion. He was in the Expeditionary Force in France in September 1915, and in the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in November 1915. He was in hospital in Salonica (Greece) from July 16th 1916 to the 17th July 1917, then being admitted to hospital for Malaria onboard HMHS Braemar Castle (a hospital ship).
He was again in hospital in Malta for Malaria in July 1916, and again for Malaria in a British General Hospital in October 1916. Once again, in March 1917, he was in a British General Hospital and then in the BSGH Oxford Hospital for Malaria, where his stay in hospital lasted 30 days. In May 1917, he was posted to the depot Battalion at Bovington, Dorset (of which Bovington Camp was in charge of the tank corps in 1917). He was then posted as part of the expeditionary force in France on 30th July 1917, where he embarked at Folkstone, and disembarked at L.Logne.
On the 26th September 1917, he was presumed dead after being recorded as missing while with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He left no will. His name in inscribed on the curved wall of the Tyne Cot Memorial in Zonnebeke, West Flanders, Belgium. It simply reads Lowery W. M. This cemetery is especially for those who were missing in action in Belgian Flanders which covers the area known as the Ypres Salient.
Having never known William myself, I was able to aquire this information from war records. He was my great grandmother's cousin, and I am proud to be able to say that he is a part of my family, no matter how distantly related. Rest In Peace William, and thank you.
Holly Ashforth

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216663

Pte. William Henry Archer 7th Btn Border Regiment (d.8th Apr 1916)

William Henry Archer was born in Dublin and enlisted at Bovington Camp, Dorset. He died in Flanders. He was 34 years old when he enlisted. He was a labourer and Unmarried. He joined at Carlisle on 3 September 1914 on a short service. His next of kin was Margaret Pelter (mother). She was 85 when she died in 1921. His mother received his victory medal. His 1914-18 star was received by his sister, Annie Daley, (42), formally Patterson who was then living in Bournemouth.
His sister wrote to his regiment about a notice she had seen in the Daily Telegraph just after his death in their roll of honour. She said she had lost sight of him for a number of years. She added that he had been born on March 7, 1881. He joined the army in 1898 in Ireland (Tralee) and was sent to India in 1900. He returned in 1906 to England and the reserve. In India he had been attached to the 1st Oxfordshire Light Infantry. She said he was of small stature and about 5'4", fair haired and slimly built. His enlistment document described him as 5 foot 8 1/2 inches.
His records show that he was feeling ill from the beginning of 1916. He referred to the 52nd and 53rd Field Ambulances with rheumatism. He also suffered from NVD, neuralgia and various other symptoms. He was observed for general German measles and died in the isolation hospital at Etaples from enteric fever. He is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery.
S.Flynn

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Bovington Camp

Want to know more about Bovington Camp?

Those known to have trained at Bovington Campduring the Great War 1914-1918.

Can you help?

If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- Bovington Camp during the Great War -

Those known to have trained at
Bovington Camp
during the Great War 1914-1918.