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1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment
In 1939 The lst Battalion of the Dorsets were sent to Malta to garrison the strategically important island in the middle of Rommel's Africa Corps supply route. Along with the 2nd Devons they endured the bombing by the Luftwaffe on the besiged island and shared the suffering of the Maltese people, until the Allies gained superiority in the Mediterranean in 1943.
When the Allies invaded Sicily in July 1943, The Dorsets alonside The Devon's took part in their first amphibious assault landing. A second landing followed this on the mainland of Italy at 'Porto Venere' on 8th September 1943. The stay in Italy was to be short lived, the two battalions were brought home, thier experience of assault landings was to spearhead the D-Day invasion of France as part of the 50th Division. Having landed slightly to the east of their objective at Le Hamel, on a beach that was still under enemy fire, they made thier way inland and by night fall were in and around the village of Ryes. The Dorsets then advanced towards Bayeux.
The lst Dorsets also took part in the battles fought around Tilly, Hottot and the Falaise Pocket. The 43rd Wessex Division carried out an assault river crossing of the Seine and by quickly advanced across Northern Franch. The lst Dorsets and 2nd Devons fought their last battle together at Aam, Holland.
In 1958 The Dorset Regiment amalgamated with The Devonshire Regiment to become the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
2nd May 1940 Warning
20th May 1940 Move
8th Jun 1940 Search 
10th Jun 1940 Defences
10th June 1940 Defence
11th June 1940 Air Raid
6th Jul 1940 Air Raid
10th Jul 1940 Aircraft Downed
12th Jul 1940 Deaths
23rd Jul 1940 Moves
7th Aug 1940 Reorganisation
30th Sep 1940 Reinforcements
31st Oct 1940 Strength
24th Nov 1940 Divine Service
30th Jun 1941 HQ
26th October 1942 Three air raids on Malta but no losses
5th Jun 1944 Intelligence
5th Jun 1944 Orders
6th Jun 1944 Almost to Plan
6th Jun 1944 Heavy Swell
6th Jun 1944 Objectives Taken
6th Jun 1944 1st Dorsets land in Normandy
6th Jun 1944 Rough Sea
6th Jun 1944 Difficult Landing
6th Jun 1944 Difficulties
6th Jun 1944 Into Position
6th Jun 1944 Behind Schedule
7th Jun 1944 Advance
7th Jun 1944 Objectives
7th Jun 1944 Objectives Taken
7th Jun 1944 Attack Made
8th Jun 1944 Consolidation
9th Jun 1944 Attack Made
9th Jun 1944 Counter Attack
9th Jun 1944 Advance
11th Jun 1944 Attack Made
19th Jun 1944 Advance
14th Jul 1944 Reliefs
13th Aug 1944 Attack Made
29th Sep 1944 Patrols Push Forward
1st Oct 1944 Advance
4th Oct 1944 Orders
7th Oct 1944 Orders Cancelled
8th Oct 1944 Moves
11th Oct 1944 Orders
13th Oct 1944 Reliefs Completed
15th Oct 1944 Very Wet
16th Oct 1944 Orders
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Those known to have served with 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Barnes . Cpl.
- Batt Henry Albert. Pte. (d.12th Jul 1944)
- Benfield Charles Edmund.
- Broom Edward George. Pte. (d.11th Jun 1944)
- Clarabut Robert William . Pte. (d.6th Jul 1943)
- Crookes .
- Dale Peter Ernest. 2nd Lt. (d.12th July 1941)
- Green John Charles. Pte. (d.11th Jun 1944)
- Green John Charles. Pte. (d.11th Jun 1944)
- Lewington William Bert. L/Cpl.
- Milner Ronald M.. Cpl.
- Rice James Napier. Sgt.
- Shrubshall William Stevens. Pte. (d.12th June 1944)
- Thomas Thomas. Cpl.
- Townsend Frederick Charles. Pte. (d.3rd August 1943)
- Turner William Francis. Pte. (d.29th June 1944)
- Watt Robert. Captain (Chaplain)
- West Cyril Henry. Pte.
- White George Edwin Leslie. Pte. (d.12th Jul 1944)
- Wray Raymond. Pte. (d.21st Jul 1943)
- Wray Raymond. Pte.
The 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, Dorsetshire Regiment from other sources.
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Want to know more about 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment? There are:1366 items tagged 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Crookes 1st Btn. Dorset Regiment My grandfather served in the Dorsetshire Regiment in the 1930s and again in WW2. I have a nice named group photo of "A" Company, No.2 Platoon, 1st Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment taken in India in 1933. Although strictly speaking, not wartime, I'm sure many of these young men (like my grandfather) saw service in WW2. I am happy to send copies to any relatives of the men in the photo.
They are: Ptes Gibbs, Higman, O'Dare, Hennessy, Pengelly, Fuguill, Gillard, Vaughan, Allen, Jayes, Siggins, Male, Bennett, Lofting, Kimber, Marsh, Lee, Mogg, Dobbs, Rawles, White(my great uncle), Wharton, Harlow, Mills, Coombes, Fotherby, McDermott, Griffiths, Ratchford, LCs Hutchings, Crookes(my grandfather), Paine, Blake, Sgt.Mills and 2/Lt Warden.
Unfortunately there are no initials listed.
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Cpl. Barnes 1st Btn. Dorset Regiment  I am sorry to say that my father passed away 10 years ago and, like many of his generation, did not talk about what he went through, except in the company of, “Those who were there.”
I do know that he was on Malta during the siege and was part of the 1st Battalion. It was given the title, “1st Malta Brigade” along with, "2nd Devons" and, "1st Hampshires"., and as such my father wore the Maltese cross on one sleeve, below any other brigade insignia.
For most of the rest of the war that was 50th Division, (231st Infantry Brigade). The Dorset Regiment, (Malta Brigade), took part in the landings in Sicily, Italy and D Day, and was involved right through to “the Island”, before the battalion was returned to England as a training battalion.
The preface of the Dorset book, “Three Assault Landings”, pays tribute to all “footsloggers” with the verse by "A. P Herbert"
New men, new weapons, bear the brunt;
New slogans gild the ancient game
The infantry are still in front
And mud and dust are much the same
Hail, humble footman, poised to fly
Across the West, or any, wall
Proud, plodding, peerless P.B.I.
The foulest, finest job of all!
Amazing how nothing has changed in 60 odd years
Cpl. Barnes, Dorset Regiment, revisits Normandy 50 years after D-Day.
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Pte. George Edwin Leslie White 1st Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment (d.12th Jul 1944) George White served with the 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment.
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Charles Edmund "Boy" Benfield 1st Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment My father, Charles Benfield never spoke about the war. The first my family knew was when the people of Alderney Island were asked to put their name forward if they had taken part in the D-Day landings. Only then did our mother tell us that dad had been on Gold Beach. The veterans were presented with a medal from France to commemorate the 50th anniversary of D-Day. My brother received it on behalf of my father, as he was not well enough to make the journey.
I researched dad’s army history, contacting the Keep Military Museum in Dorchester, which put me in touch with Christopher Jary, and I got dad’s army papers from the Ministry of Defence. I was amazed at the places he had been, and what he had done in his short army career.
Dad had taken part in the three assault landings. Then he was wounded by mortar splinters on the 14th June, when the Dorsets were attacking through woods. He was bought back to the UK then, back to his home in Alderney, and he never returned to his regiment.
After Alderney was liberated from German occupation, Dad worked on the land for a few years. Afterward, he was the manager for a grit and gravel company. Dad was happily married for 49 years and had 9 very proud children.
I have emailed some photos to Christopher Jary to put in the Museum, and I am looking forward to visiting the Museum sometime this year.
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Pte. Henry Albert Batt 1st Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment (d.12th Jul 1944) Henry Batt was my stepdad's uncle.
We are in Normandy trying to find out more information.
He was killed in action on 12th of July 1944.
His grave doesn't show his age but we know he was 19.
We are looking for a photograph.
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Pte. Cyril Henry West 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment   My dad, Cyril West, didn't talk much about the war, but I gleaned snippets from him at times and adding those to his Certificate of Service and other regimental records I have a rough idea of his service.
He enlisted on 23rd of August 1937 at Portsmouth and spent his first year in the UK. He was deployed to India between December 1938 to June 1939 and I believe he would have been posted somewhere around Landi Kotal? He attributed this time to his love of very hot curries!
From India he was sent to Malta where he spent three and a half years under the Luftwaffe siege. This was one part of the war that he did talk about, although he used to tell me about the clear waters around the island and how he learnt the hard way on how to pluck the hairy thorns from prickly pear cactus.
When the siege was broken, he was sent to Egypt in March or April 1943 according to his Certificate of Service, but online Regiment records seem to suggest it was Tunisia? Any ideas on this would be gratefully received. Then on to Sicily and Italy, before being whisked back to Blighty for the Normandy Invasion.
I know very little about his days in North West Europe as he was injured around the end of July or start of August 1944 (I believe he would have been fighting in the general area around Hottot-les-Bagues and Villers-Bocage going by online records of the 1st's encounters) and would never discuss it. He was discharged on medical grounds in December 1944 and spent several years in rehabilitation for his wounds. He died at home in November 1991, but I still miss him dearly 27 years later!
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Sgt. James Napier "Red" Rice 1st Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment James Rice served with the 1st Dorsetshire Regiment.
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Pte. Raymond Wray 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment (d.21st Jul 1943) Raymond Wray was the beloved, and eldest son of George William Wray and Eva Ray Wray. He was born in Pontefract in 1916, the eldest of 8 brothers and 1 sister.
He was killed in action in Italy on the 21st of July 1943 at the age of 27. One of many brave soldiers that died that day, God rest their souls. His resting place is the Catania War Cemetery.
Forever in our hearts.
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Pte. William Francis Turner 1st Btn Dorsetshire Regiment (d.29th June 1944) Uncle Bill Turner (dad's brother) was killed on D-Day. He was hit in the back, leg and shoulder and a bullet passed through his wallet. He was buried in a hospital cemetery 13.5 miles west of Caen and is remembered in the Bayeaux war cemetery. Major Dartnall fought with him and was also hit by shrapnel. In his letter to grandma he stated that Bill was a credit to his unit and to any British family. We also have the letter of condolence from the King
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L/Cpl. William Bert Lewington 1st Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment My Dad's name was William Bert Lewington, he was captured at Dresden and marched to Stalag XII-A where he was a prisoner of war until march 1944. I don't know a lot about his life as a prisoner as like many of our hero's they didn't want to talk about it. As he was a cook he was sent to either Berge-Belsen or Auschwitz to help feed the interns of the camps. I remember him saying he lived on potato soup and had a very bad case of dysentery when he was released. As he was an enlisted soldier firstly in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment prior to being captured, on re-joining the army he was transferred into the 1st battalion of the Dorsets.
Like many others it did effect their life after the war. I was 11 years old when he died so I would really like to find out more about his life in the army. If any one could help me in this quest I would be grateful.
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