Heard family history:Roll of Honour

Fallen in the Great War

Oswald Bere, Private, 'B 'Coy 2nd/8th Bn. Worcestershire Regiment. Died 28 August 1917, age 23. Remembered at Tyne Cot.

Stanley Bere, Private, 26th Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Died 11 June 1916, age 26. Remembered at the Etaples Military Cemetery.

Francis Blackler, Rifleman, 4th Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade. Died 16 June 1917, age 24. Buried at Trois Arbres Cemetery.

Albert Bubear, Private, 12th Bn. Middlesex Regiment. Died 15 July 1916,age 24. Remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

Walter R. Burridge, Private, 2nd Bn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Died 21 March 1918, age 30. Remembered at the Pozieres Memorial.

Ernest S. Cook, Rifleman, 8th Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps. Died 30 July 1915, age 23. Buried at Sanctuary Wood.

Arthur W.P.Daw, Artificer Engineer, HMS Bulwark. Died 26 November 1914, age 37. Remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Reginald Daw, Private, 49th Bn. Australian Infantry. Died 7 June 1917, age 23. Commemorated at the Menin Gate.

Victor S. Dixon, Lance Corporal, 41st Bn. Australian Infantry. Died 27 June 1917, age 27. Commemorated at Kandahar Farm.

Frederick Drew, Private, 2nd Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 1 July 1916, age 28. Remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

John Drew, Private, 8th Bn. Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment). Died 28 April 1917, age 24. Buried at Orchard Dump Cemetery.

William Drew, Private, 1st/6th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died in Iraq 8 March 1916, age 19. Commemorated at the Basra Memorial.

Charles Fey, Private, Depot, Gloucestershire Regiment. Died 17 October 1918, age 21. Buried at Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol. .

Frederick Fey, Private, 2nd/4th Bn. Gloucestershire Regiment. Died 27 August 1917, age 21. Buried at New Irish Farm Cemetery.

Wilfred Garnsworthy, Private, 1st/23rd Bn. London Regiment. Died 5 April 1918, age 29.Commemorated on the Arras Memorial.

Arthur Grubb, Private, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 14th Bn. Died 21 March 1918, age 27. Remembered at the Pozieres Memorial.

Harold Heard, Private, 12th Bn. Royal Scots. Died on the Somme, 16th April 1918, age 19. Commemorated at Tyne Cot.

William Hitchcock, Private, 8th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 25 September 1915, age 20. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial.

Cecil Huxtable, Lance Corporal, 28th Bn. Australian Infantry. Died 4 October 1917, age 28. Remebered at Tyne Cot.

Herbert Joy, Drummer, 1st Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 16 September 1914, age 30. Remembered at La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre.

Jonas Kelly, Private, 16th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 2nd September 1918, age 26. Commemorated at Vis-en-Artois Memorial.

William Lee, Petty Officer Stoker, HMS Hampshire. Died 5 June 1916 age 33. Remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Albert Loye, Private, 4th Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Died at Ypres, 24th August 1915, age 42. Commemorated at the Menin Gate.

Frederick Loye, Gunner, 351st Siege Bty. Royal Garrison Artillery. Died on the Somme 6 November 1917, age 40. Buried at Tyne Cot.

Reginald P.Loye, Private, 12th Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Died 31 January 1917, age 40. Buried in Lillers Communal Cemetery.

Arthur Meecham, Private, 11th Bn. Worcestershire Regiment. Died 24 April 1917, age 20. Remembered at the Doiran Memorial.

Reginald Newcombe, Gunner, "X" 9th T.M. Bty, Royal Field Artillery. Died 22 March 1918, age 21. Remembered at Pozieres.

Charles Osborne, Able Seaman, HMS Defence, Royal Navy. Died 31 May 1916, age 21. Remembered at the Plymouth Naval Memorial.

William Osborne, Private, 2nd Bn. Hampshire Regiment. Died 13 August 1914, age41. Remembered on the Helles Memorial.

John Pickett, Private, 3rd Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Died 24 May 1915, age 35. Commemorated at the Menin Gate.

Frederick Pyman, Sergeant, 12th Bn. Gloucestershire Regiment. Died 23 March 1916, age 36. Buried at Habarcq Cemetery.

William Wensley, Private, 3rd Bn. Grenadier Guards. Died 29 September 1917, age 20. Commemorated at Bleuet Farm.

Alfred Willing, Private, 9th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 30 September 1915, age 29. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial.

Robert Willing, Private 9th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 1 July 1916, age 23 . Buried in the Devonshire Cemetery, Mametz.

Menin Gate Crediton Memorial to the War Dead Naval War Memorial, Plymouth Hoe
	*Fallen in the Great War* Oswald Bere, Private, 'B 'Coy 2nd/8th Bn. Worcestershire Regiment. Died 28 August 1917, age 23. Remembered at Tyne Cot. Stanley Bere, Private, 26th Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Died 11 June 1916, age 26. Remembered at the Etaples Military Cemetery. Francis Blackler, Rifleman, 4th Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade. Died 16 June 1917, age 24. Buried at Trois Arbres Cemetery. Albert Bubear, Private, 12th Bn. Middlesex Regiment. Died 15 July 1916,age 24. Remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. Walter R. Burridge, Private, 2nd Bn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Died 21 March 1918, age 30. Remembered at the Pozieres Memorial. Ernest S. Cook, Rifleman, 8th Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps. Died 30 July 1915, age 23. Buried at Sanctuary Wood. Arthur W.P.Daw, Artificer Engineer, HMS Bulwark. Died 26 November 1914, age 37. Remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Reginald Daw, Private, 49th Bn. Australian Infantry. Died 7 June 1917, age 23. Commemorated at the Menin Gate. Victor S. Dixon, Lance Corporal, 41st Bn. Australian Infantry. Died 27 June 1917, age 27. Commemorated at Kandahar Farm. Frederick Drew, Private, 2nd Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 1 July 1916, age 28. Remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. John Drew, Private, 8th Bn. Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment). Died 28 April 1917, age 24. Buried at Orchard Dump Cemetery. William Drew, Private, 1st/6th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died in Iraq 8 March 1916, age 19. Commemorated at the Basra Memorial. Charles Fey, Private, Depot, Gloucestershire Regiment. Died 17 October 1918, age 21. Buried at Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol. . Frederick Fey, Private, 2nd/4th Bn. Gloucestershire Regiment. Died 27 August 1917, age 21. Buried at New Irish Farm Cemetery. Wilfred Garnsworthy, Private, 1st/23rd Bn. London Regiment. Died 5 April 1918, age 29.Commemorated on the Arras Memorial. Arthur Grubb, Private, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 14th Bn. Died 21 March 1918, age 27. Remembered at the Pozieres Memorial. Harold Heard, Private, 12th Bn. Royal Scots. Died on the Somme, 16th April 1918, age 19. Commemorated at Tyne Cot. William Hitchcock, Private, 8th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 25 September 1915, age 20. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial. Cecil Huxtable, Lance Corporal, 28th Bn. Australian Infantry. Died 4 October 1917, age 28. Remebered at Tyne Cot. Herbert Joy, Drummer, 1st Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 16 September 1914, age 30. Remembered at La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre. Jonas Kelly, Private, 16th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 2nd September 1918, age 26. Commemorated at Vis-en-Artois Memorial. William Lee, Petty Officer Stoker, HMS Hampshire. Died 5 June 1916 age 33. Remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Albert Loye, Private, 4th Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Died at Ypres, 24th August 1915, age 42. Commemorated at the Menin Gate. Frederick Loye, Gunner, 351st Siege Bty. Royal Garrison Artillery. Died on the Somme 6 November 1917, age 40. Buried at Tyne Cot. Reginald P.Loye, Private, 12th Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Died 31 January 1917, age 40. Buried in Lillers Communal Cemetery. Arthur Meecham, Private, 11th Bn. Worcestershire Regiment. Died 24 April 1917, age 20. Remembered at the Doiran Memorial. Reginald Newcombe, Gunner, "X" 9th T.M. Bty, Royal Field Artillery. Died 22 March 1918, age 21. Remembered at Pozieres. Charles Osborne, Able Seaman, HMS Defence, Royal Navy. Died 31 May 1916, age 21. Remembered at the Plymouth Naval Memorial. William Osborne, Private, 2nd Bn. Hampshire Regiment. Died 13 August 1914, age41. Remembered on the Helles Memorial. John Pickett, Private, 3rd Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Died 24 May 1915, age 35. Commemorated at the Menin Gate. Frederick Pyman, Sergeant, 12th Bn. Gloucestershire Regiment. Died 23 March 1916, age 36. Buried at Habarcq Cemetery. William Wensley, Private, 3rd Bn. Grenadier Guards. Died 29 September 1917, age 20. Commemorated at Bleuet Farm. Alfred Willing, Private, 9th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 30 September 1915, age 29. Commemorated on the Loos Memorial. Robert Willing, Private 9th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. Died 1 July 1916, age 23 . Buried in the Devonshire Cemetery, Mametz.
	In the Baptismal Register for St Swithun's Parish Church, in Sandford, after the Great War, an incumbent or parish clerk has revisited the register for parishioners baptised there in the 1880s and 1890s. He has added to their register entries inscriptions such as "Killed in Flanders 1917", " Lost both arms in France in 1916" " Died in France, 1915". These poignant additions are to be found below far too many baptisms for a tiny village of some 1200 souls.
	As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain; As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness, To the end, to the end, they remain.
					Laurence Binyon, For the Fallen

	Lucknow
	John Fursdon, husband of Maria Drew, was killed between May 1857 and November 1857, whilst storming the engine house at Lucknow, India, during the Siege of Lucknow. The Siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defence of the Residency within the city of Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny. After two successive relief attempts had reached the city, the defenders and civilians were evacuated from the Residency, which was abandoned. John seems to have been in one of the columns attempting the relief of the Residency.				British soldiers at Lucknow

	The Willing Brothers
	Privates Robert Willing (seated) and Alfred Willing			War memorials throughout the country bear testament to the losses suffered within families, the same names re-occurring. Robert and Alice Willing lost two of their four sons. Robert was a successful architect, living in Dartmouth at the start of the war. All their sons signed up. Both eldest son Alfred and youngest son Robert enlisted in the 9th battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. In September 1915, 29 year-old Alfred was killed in the Battle of Loos - a massive offensive by the Allies that saw the first use of gas by the British. Lack of wind meant the gas lingered across the Devonshire Regiment's front. Initially successful, the attack petered out, with no effective reserves in support. The fighting had subsided by 29th September. Alfred's medal card reads "Death regarded 30.9.15" - perhaps the date when his body or personal effects were found. He is commemorated on the Loos memorial. In the following year Alfred's 23 year-old brother Robert was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, at Mametz, as described below.

	Arthur Joseph Grubb
	Arthur Grubb		Arthur Grubb married in 1911, aged 21, and joined up in 1914, serving first in training camps in England. His daughter Annie was born in May 1915. She was 6 months old before he saw her. He was soon posted to France. Arthur served in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps, then the Machine Gun Company. Whilst surrounded by death and destruction in the trenches he found time to embroider this handkerchief as a gift for his daughter. The Germans launched their last great offensive in Spring 1918. Arthur went missing on the first day,21st March 1918, the battle of Saint-Quentin. His daughter was to treasure the gift made for her by the father she never knew.

	Reginald Loye
	Not all deaths in France were from enemy action. Second cousin Reginald Loye, like his father before him, qualified as a solicitor. After the death of his father he joined Lloyds Bank, and in 1914 was working at their Cheltenham Road, Bristol branch. With a history of military service in his mother's family that stretched back to the early years of the 17th century, unsurprisingly Reginald volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in August 1914. He failed the medical. Undeterred he managed to join the Bankers’ or Stockbrokers' Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers in March 1916, aged 39. He seems to have arrived in France in August of that year and joined the 12th Battalion at Dernancourt on the Somme. Within days he was plunged into battle, the battalion suffering daily from artillery and gas attacks. Reginald was constantly employed on special duty and patrol work during the autumn and winter of 1916-17. The Battalion War Diary tells us that the weather was exceptionally bitter in January 1917, freezing, with considerable snow falls. Whilst undergoing a course of machine-gun instruction under canvas in those wretched conditions, Reginald contracted pneumonia. His death was recorded at the 2/1^st West Riding Casualty Clearing Station on 31 Jan 1917. He is buried at Lillers.

	Fred Frost
	Recovering at a military hospital, Fred Frost, front row, third from right.			Another cousin in our Loye family, Fred Frost, joined the Territorials just a day or two before his sixteenth birthday in 1912. When war broke out he transferred into the Royal Field Artillery and was sent to France on 15th March 1915. Gunner Frost was serving with his battery on about 22nd May 1916 when it came under heavy fire. Fred was severely burned in an explosion and was evacuated to a casualty clearing station. He had suffered burns to his face, arms, hands, back and legs. It was clear from the letters written to his mother by the Sister-in-Charge at the Clearing Station that his survival was in doubt. "He has been burnt in an explosion and I am afraid is very bad. You may be sure we shall do everything we can for hm." Fred was moved to the base hospital at Rouen. He made some progress, and the Sister there was able to write that his face had already healed. But on 18 June 1916 "it was found necessary to amputate his left arm. It was burnt too badly to save." Fred was moved back to the UK where he continued to receive care. He was discharged from the Army on 21st August 1917, as being "no longer fit for War Service". He married my cousin Doris Rouse in 1921, and they had 10 children. For many years Fred and Doris lived in an Earl Haig home. Fred died of TB in 1986.

	*"Doing their bit"* In common with most families, our parents', grandparents' and great-grandparents' generations served their country when needed. Some were called up, many volunteered, or were serving in the reserves, militias or territorials. A few were regulars. Our earliest certain Heard ancestor, John Heard, was in the Royal Cornwall Militia, stationed at Crediton, when he met his wife Susannah Crossman in the 1790s. Great (x3) grandfather John Berry was a private in No 1 Coy. on the nominal roll of the 1st Crediton Volunteers, January 1st, 1805. Three years earlier he and his father-in-law John Prawl had attended the muster in Exeter when the threat from Napoleon had seemed great. In 1887 the nominal roll of G Coy. (Crediton) of the 1st Rifle Volunteers, the Devonshire Regiment, included the names of several of our family. Devonshire being a seafaring county, we have had our share of sailors, including John Bate who joined in 1866, and served for 20 years, James Heard who enlisted in 1894 and Walter Bubear who joined the Royal Navy at 18 in 1896, and served until 1919. William Lee, descended from our Smallridges, was a Petty Officer Stoker who perished with Lord Kitchener in the mysterious sinking of HMS Hampshire in 1916. Moses Farthing served as a Stoker on HMS Renown and HMS Attentive between 1916 and 1919. Our women too did their bit, including several Wright sisters and cousins who were nurses during WWII, two of whom appear below, alongside men of the family photographed during their service.
					Bill Heard 1914-1993
	James Farthing 1891-1959	Betty Wright 1920-2005					Frederick Heard 1922-2007

	10th Royal Hussars officer c. 1845				Charles Carter served for over 24 years in the 10th (Prince of Wales' Own) Royal Hussars, joining in 1846 aged 17 and retiring in 1870. He rose through the ranks from Private to Corporal, then Sergeant and Troop Sergeant Major and finally holding the rank of Squadron Quarter Master Sergeant, when he retired. He served for eight years in the East Indies, then fought in the Crimea and was at the fall of Sebastapol. The regiment took him all over England, and he was stationed in London, Yorkshire, Norfolk and Aldershot. The regiment moved to Ireland for 5 years in 1863, dealing with the 'Fenian' troubles. It was there in Dundalk that his daughter Charlotte was born, wife of great uncle John Prettejohn Pitts. Charles' wife Annie Brown was the daughter of a barracks sergeant George Brown, also a Chelsea Pensioner. He was awarded a Medal for service in the Crimea with a clasp for the fall of Sebastopol, the Turkish Crimean medal and a medal for good conduct and long service. He settled in Yorkshire, but had only 7 years to enjoy his retirement, dying there in 1877.


		Albert Fey 1884 - 1958
	Peggy Wright 1921-1979				Jack Turner 1894 - 1935		John Heard 1934-1996

	Fred Wright (1880-1946) in Ireland (seated right)				Sgt Ken Pollard (1918 - 1995)		Corporal John Crofton Sadleir enlisted in Australia on 17th Jan 1916, aged barely 16 but giving his age as 21. He was wounded twice in action in France (1917). He then re-enlisted in 1940, understating his age by three years and without mentioning his previous service. He was killed in action attacking Sidon, Lebanon, during Operation Exporter against Vichy French forces. He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 30th Dec 1941).

	William Park
	William Park (1883-1970) had only been in Australia a few years when the First World War broke out. He enlisted in the 11th Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force in September 1914, one of the first infantry units raised at the beginning of the war. He took a couple years off his age when he enlisted. He served with the 11th Bn in Egypt, Gallipoli and France. Bill was wounded, and sent to convalesce in England, where he married. With the coming of WWII Bill enlisted again. Aged 57, he gave his age as 50 so that he could join up. He served from 1941 to 1949 as a member of the 10th Garrison. Bill had 6 sons, and all served. Two were prisoners of war - Happy escaped from the Germans and fought with Italian guerrillas for three years. Lance was a prisoner of the Japanese for five years. Stanley was a Desert Rat,and fought at Tobruk. Edgar served with the air force in the Pacific islands. One of his younger sons served in Korea, and another in Vietnam, and the tradition continued, with Bill's grandsons also serving in Vietnam.

	John Berry Wright John Wright (1887-1959) joined up in 1905. He seems to have joined the Army Service Corps. According to a family diary entry, "John Berry Wright entered the army October 24th 1905. Fought in the first battle in Flanders, August 1914, returned home again with a fractured leg 1918." In fact it seems likely that John was a Territorial or Reservist, for at the time of his marriage in 1911 his occupation was carpenter. He certainly served in the Great War, rose to the rank of Sergeant and survived the war.				Fred Pickett Fred Pickett enlisted in the Devonshire Regiment in 1915. The following year he joined the 2/6 Bn. Devonshire Regiment in India, and in 1917 went with the Battalion to Mesopotamia until the end of the war. Fred's war was not one of mud and trenches: for these Devons it was a war of fever, disease and consequent death. He kept a brief diary of his experiences, which can be downloaded.

	Volunteers at Crediton Station, off to join the 6th Bn Devonshire Regiment. Maybe Fred Pickett's departure was like this. Probably taken some time between 1914 and 1916 the postcard proudly proclaims Crediton's total of over 300 volunteers thus far. Over 170 men of Crediton and its surrounding parishes, villages and hamlets did not return.


	Jack Heard 1916-1989	Laurie Pitts 1912-1999			Den Heard 1918 - 2001		Bill Heard 1915-2003


	Margaret Pickett 1927-2003 (RAOC)		Albert Pickett 1921-1988		R, in great coat: Charles Pickett 1918-1975 Photographed in POW camp Stalag XXA where Charles was a prisoner for most of the war

	Les Ashplant
	Les had always wanted to be in the RAF, and joined up as soon as he was old enough. Unable to be a pilot, he volunteered for the dangerous role of Air Gunner with Bomber Command. On a mission over Germany to bomb Mannheim in 1943, his plane was shot down, and he earned the distinction of qualifying for the Caterpillar Club, by parachuting from the doomed plane to save his life. Captured by the Germans as he tried to escape to Switzerland, he was eventually taken to Stalag 4b, where he was imprisoned until the arrival of the advancing Russians. He got back to England in 1945.					Les was photographed by the Germans when he was shot down.


	Medal Display Top left: Private Fred Ashplant, RAMC. The British War Medal and the World War I Victory Medal. Top right: Pioneer John Ashplant, RE. The Mons Star, The British War Medal and the World War I Victory Medal. (Pip, Squeak and Wilfred) Bottom: Sgt. Albert Hatten, Coldstream Guards. The Mons Star, The British War Medal, the World War I Victory Medal, the 39-45 Defence Medal, and the Special Constable Good Conduct and Long Service Medal.				*Stoker 1st Class John Blackborough 1907-1939* "Jack" was a stoker on the battleship HMS Royal Oak. She was the first large war ship to be sunk in WWII. On the night of 14th October 1939, U-boat U47 evaded the block ships at the RN anchorage at Scapa Flow and launched two torpedos. The second hit the Royal Oak and she sank within fifteen minutes. Of the crew of 1200, 833 died. Today the wreck is a war grave and no diving is allowed on it.

	Private Samuel Rowe Sam Rowe died during the allied invasion of Italy in September 1943. The main allied landings were at Salerno, beginning on 9th September. Sam was a Private in the Pioneer Corps. During 12th - 14th September the Germans counterattacked the Allied beachhead at Salerno, hoping to throw them back into the sea. Sam died on 13th September. Supported by Airborne reinforce-ments the Allies repulsed the counterattack, and consolidated the beachhead by 16th September. Sam is buried at the War Cemetery at Salerno.				Bronze memorial in Exeter Cathedral to the officers and men of the Devonshire Regiment who lost their lives in the Great War

	RAF Memorial, Runnymede				Pilot Sgt Kenneth Heard back row, 3rd from left Sgt Kenneth Heard was posted to 49 Sqdn in January 1942, based at Scampton in Leicestershire, flying Hampden bombers. He flew as Navigator on Operation Fuller - the Channel Dash - the operation to prevent the breakout of the German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen from Brest. His first mission in January was against the ships in Brest. He then attacked the ships in the Channel on 10th February, without success, and on his third mission on 12th February 1942 the aircraft and its crew, Pilot Sgt Phillips, W/OP Sgt Jackson, Sgt Toghill, Air Gunner and Sgt Kenneth Heard failed to return.

	World War II Basil Bray, Surgeon Lt. RNVR, HMS Greyhound. Died 22 May 1941 age 27. Remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. John Blackborough, Stoker 1st Class, RN, HMS Royal Oak. Died 13 October 1939. Remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. William Hansen, Lieutentant (jg), US Navy, USS Helena. Died 6 July 1943, age 22. Kenneth Heard, Sergeant, RAFVR, 49 Squadron. Died 12 February 1942, age 20. Commemorated at the RAF Memorial, Runnymede. Ronald Mallett, Corporal, Royal Corps of Signals, 201st Bde.Sig.Sec. Died 2 April 1943, age 24. Buried in Taukkyan Cemetery, Burma. Arthur Pickett, Sick Berth Attendant, RN, HMS Shrapnel. Died 21 July 1942, age 31. Remembered at the Wandsworth Crematorium. Clifford Pickett, Major, the Kings Regt. , attd 2nd Bn Worcestershire Regt. Died 9 April 1945, age 33. Buried in Taukkyan Cemetery. Samuel Rowe, Private ,242 Coy., Pioneer Corps. Died 13 September 1943, age 41. Buried in Salerno War Cemetery. John Sadleir, Corporal, D Coy., 2/16 Bn Australian Infantry. Died 13 June 1941, age 41. Buried in Lebanon War Cemetery. Maurice Willing, Flt Lt, Royal Australian Air Force. Missing 19 Jan 1942, age 23. Remembered at Ambon Memorial Olivia Willing, Student Nurse, City Hospital, Plymouth. Died 20 March 1941, age 19. Buried at Efford Cemetery, Plymouth.
					Sam Rowe's original grave at Salerno

	Devonshire Cemetery
	The first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916, saw the 9th Bn. Devonshire Regiment holding trenches at Mansell Copse, near the village of Mametz. They were to attack towards the nearby village of Fricourt. Lt. Duncan Martin of A Coy. had identified the threat from German machine gunners in what had become known as Shrine Alley - the field of fire from machine guns established in a shrine in the village cemetery. As the 9th Bn. emerged from their trenches they were cut down by machine guns as predicted. The 9th continued to advance, along with the 2nd Gordons, and supported by the 8th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. By 6.00pm the Division had achieved its objective and was being consolidated. But at a heavy price. The 8th had lost 3 officers killed, 47 men killed or missing and 7 officers and 151 men wounded. The 9th had lost 8 officers (including Lt. Martin) and 196 men killed or missing, 9 officers and 267 men wounded - 463 casualties of the 775 in action. Rather unusually the dead were buried in the trench they had left, by a working party led by the padre. Comrades erected a wooden plaque to mark the burial. Its legend read:				The Devonshire Cemetery
	"The Devonshires held this trench. The Devonshires hold it still."
	The site became a war cemetery and is now known as the Devonshire Cemetery. 153 men of all ranks are commemorated in the cemetery, all but two being members of the 8th and 9th battalions of the Devonshires. 65 Devon-born men are believed to be buried there. Amongst them is family member Pte. Robert Phillips Willing, aged 23. The cemetery is on the Albert-Peronne Road south of Mametz.

Some of the individuals who appear on this page do not appear in the Name Index or Family Tree because their relationship there to living individuals would breach privacy. But they are all members of the families who are covered on these pages and some of their relations will be found on this site.

I am indebted to the families of the people on this page who shared with me their photographs, their papers and their stories. If your family member is connected to our families and has not been recorded here in the roll of honour, or if you want to suggest a family member for inclusion on this page, please email me .

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