West Somerset Yeomanry in the Great War - The Wartime Memories Project -

West Somerset Yeomanry

Territorial Force:
1/1st Battalion, West Somerset Yeomanry
2/1st Battalion, West Somerset Yeomanry
3/1st Battalion, West Somerset Yeomanry

7th July 1917 Table of Reliefs.

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There are:6583 items tagged West Somerset Yeomanry 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
West Somerset Yeomanry
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Chorley William Thomas. Pte. 12th Battalion
Hawkins Alfred Samuel. Pte. 1st/1st Sqd.
Lock John James Mansfield. Tpr. Crewkerne Sqn
Stacey Alfred. Pte.
Tolley Bertram Gordon. Cpl. 1st/1st

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251629

Cpl. Bertram Gordon Tolley 1st/1st West Somerset Yeomanry

Bertram Tolley was born in 1885 in Reeds & Hamlets Kingsnympton the son of James Fisher Tolley and Dinah Hulland Adams. He along with the rest of the family moved from Kingsnympton to Upottery Nr. Honiton in 1895 to Lambpark farm. In 1903 he joined the West Somerset Yeomanry, todays TA.
When war broke out in 1914 he was moblised and sent to Colchester for training, the West Somerset Yeomanry were attached to the Hussars. He sailed on the RMS Olympic from Liverpool in September 1915, the West Somerset Yeomanry were attached to the Hussars, and saw action in Suvla, Gallipoli. Initially they were to dig trenches but by November they were fighting in the front line having taken over the Anzac trenches, they were evacuated in late November, early December, to Alexandria Egypt. On his return to the UK, Bertram asked to be discharged and this was granted due to the number of years of service he had done prior to the war.
He lived at Kings Lease in Upottery until at least 1919, this was another property attached to Lambpark farm. In 1917 he married Mary Ellen Dimond, formally of Gordhayes Farm Upottery, in Bermondsey London, the reason being Mary's sister Elizabeth Pearcy lived in London but were about to move to Chelows Park, estate which Tom Pearcy had purchased. Bertram and Mary lived at Old Chellows, Nr. Lingfield, Surrey, from around 1919/20, this was part of the estate owned by Tom and Elizabeth Pearcy. Mary and Bertram lived here until the untimely death of Mary in 1928. Tom and Elizabeth had returned to London in the early 30's due to financial losses endured by the crash, they died there in 1940 but are buried in the same grave as Mary Ellen Tolley, in Lingfield. Bertram then moved and purchased Brick Kiln Farm in Great Totham Nr. Maldon Essex, in 1929. He had been billeted near here when he was called up for WW1 service. He later sold this around 1937/38 to the Keyes family, he was still at Great Totham in Kelly's directory at this time, and moved to 41 North Street this appears to have been lodgings according to the 1939 register listed as a retired farmer. He later purchased and moved to 37 Church Street Maldon, Essex, he then worked for the council as a recreation ground attendant. Bertram died at the age of 65 in 1950 at Maldon Hospital. He left his money and property to his brother Fred, who lived in Boreham a few miles away. Bertram was buried in Maldon Cemetery in London Road, Essex in Row h43 v78 plot 6615 on the 17th March 1950. There is no headstone.
Simon Tolley

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243354

Pte. William Thomas Chorley 12th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry

Will Chorley was my father who, tragically, died three months before I was born. Formerly of the West Somerset Yeomanry, William Thomas Chorley enlisted at Taunton on the 11th of November 1914, and I am aware that with the Yeomanry he served in the Middle East participating in the various campaigns in this theatre, he was in Jerusalem in January 1918 for I have in my collection of his papers his certificate of confirmation, signed by the Bishop of Jerusalem on the 17th of January 1918. His discharge paper shows he transferred to the 12th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry and, I assume, would have arrived on the Western Front in May 1918.
My late mother, told me that while in France he was quite seriously wounded in the thigh and although on his discharge he returned to prewar work as a farm labourer, he walked with a limp for the rest of his relatively short life. His actual discharge is dated 3rd of March 1919, as being no longer physically fit for military service; the document is markerd 'Wound Stripes' One, Chevrons 3 Blue. Any information that you may be able to impart relating to his military service - particularly the actions involving the 12th Battalion in France, will be most welcome.
William R Chorley

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224844

Tpr. John James Mansfield Lock Crewkerne Sqn 1st/1st West Somerset Yeomanry

698 Private John James Mansfield Lock was a Trooper with the 1st/1st West Somerset Yeomanry and Sapper 229th Brigade Signals Section, Divisional Signals Company Royal Engineers, 74th (Yeomanry) Division
Jack Lock joined the West Somerset Yeomanry on the 3rd March 1913 at Crewkerne, Somerset. He attended two summer camps, with his own horse on Salisbury Plain in May 1913 and at Porlock in May 1914. The Regiment was embodied on the 5th August 1914 and was soon deployed to Essex on anti-invasion duties. The WSY finally deployed overseas in the infantry role, landing at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli on 9th October 1915.
They were evacuated from Gallipoli with the rest of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force the WSY landed at Alexandria, Egypt on 31st of December 1915.
The WSY served in Eygpt against a native rebellion and it was in January 1917 that the WSY became the 12th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry. On the 21st February 1917 Jack was transferred to the Royal Engineers as a member of the Brigade Signals Section. The 74th (Yeomanry) Division served with distinction in General Allenbyâ€™s Palestine campaign against the Turks and was still engaged in operations there when the German March 1918 offensive was launched on the Western Front. The Division was moved to France and part of the desperately needed reinforcements from Palestine. The Division was fully engaged in the final 100 days.
Jack was discharged from the Army in July 1919 and returned to Somerset to become a farmer as many generations of his family had done before him. He passed away peacefully in his sleep in Sept 1979 when I was 12 years old. He talked briefly to me about his experiences, showing me a few photos from his time in Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine. He never spoke of his service to my father his son and gave me his three campaign medals, still in their boxes having never been worn. He lost many of his good friends and was clearly deeply effected by his experiences, my Grandmother said he often experienced dreadful nightmares. As a Linesman in the Signals Troop it would have been his job to have repaired severed telephone lines, cut by artillery fire, often whilst still under fire.
Nick Lock

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217653

Pte. Alfred Samuel Hawkins 1st/1st Sqd. West Somerset Yeomanry

Alfred Samuel Hawkins lied about his age and joined up in 1915 to serve with the West Somerset Yeomanry. The records say he went out on the Olympic (sister ship Titanic) to Gallipoli in August 1915 landing at Suvla Bay. He spent periods in Reserve and also on the front line eventually in January 1916 covering the British withdrawal. Like a lot of other Yeomanry regts They served as dismounted infantry but still retained cavalry ranks and organisation. The regiment was evacuated to Egypt.
Pte. A.S. Hawkins was invalided out in March 1917 through illness. We don't know if he fought at Gaza with his regimentt. His service record is missing - one of those destroyed in WW2 but his medal card exists. After the war he became a farmer eventually buying his own farm in Bitton near Bristol.
Bob Shepherd

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212671

Pte. Alfred "Offie" Stacey West Somerset Yeomanry

In a tin in my Mother's house I found my grandfatherâ€™s medals and a silk cloth. My grandfather, Alf Stacey and his two brothers served in the 1st World War. His brother Wallace died and the other two came home. Grandad and Uncle Charlie erected a monument in Westonzoyland. I have started to trace their history but I have not found out much about my Grandad nor Uncle Charlie. My uncle Wally who died was shoe smith in the Household Cavalry, he was a blacksmith before the war.
Pete Stacey