War Memorial - WW1 (A to F)

On the 14th May 1920 the Derry Hill and Studley War Memorial was unveiled by Lady Maud Evelyn Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne. 

The memorial carries the names of one of her sons and two of her grandsons. The memorial, with its carving of George slaying the dragon, was originally positioned a few feet to the east and was moved to its current position when the road was widened to incorporate a pavement. 

There are 27 names carved onto the memorial - men who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars. Our war memorial, like so many others across the Commonwealth, was a focus for the grief of families left behind who could not visit a grave overseas.

 They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

 When you go home tell them of us and say - For your tomorrow we gave our today 

 Frank was born at Dunster in 1874 and was the son of George Atwood and his wife Isabella. Frank's father had been a Mariner before becoming a Farmer, and the family home was at Woodcombe Farmhouse, Woodcombe, Minehead.

During WW1 Frank enlisted at Chippenham, Wiltshire (assuming he worked at Bowood?), becoming Private 306674 in the 1st/8th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. They were deployed from Southampton to France on the 22nd of March 1915, arriving at Le Havre on the morning of the 23rd of March 1915 and, subsequently, moved to the trenches on the Western Front.

Private Atwood was reported as 'Missing in Action' (presumed dead) on the 27th of August 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He was aged 40 years and his body was never identified/recovered. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 9 A, 9 B and on the Derry Hill War Memorial.

Private, Service No. 1236, Age 23. Born in 1892, he died on 1 August 1915. Royal Munster Fusiliers. PORTIANOS MILITARY CEMETERY, LIMNOS, GREECE.

In March 1915 the Fusiliers mobilised for war and embarked for Alexandria via Mudros (Limnos) from Avonmouth. In April they landed at Helles and were engaged in actions at the Battles for Krithia and the Achi Baba heights on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Samuel was the son of Frederick George and Thirza Beer, of New Rd., Studley. Sam was the eldest of 5 children - Frank, Elizabeth, George and Ada.

In the following few days the local paper printed  the story of Samuel Beer and the letter his mother received from his commanding officer. 

The report says "Mrs Beer of New Road Studley has been officially informed of the death of her son Private S Beer".

The letter says "it is with deep regret that I have to inform you that Private Beer of my Platoon died on Sunday. For eleven Months I knew him and he was always most anxious to become an efficient solider. He was buried the same afternoon he died being accorded full military honours. His remains were played to the graveside by regimental band, while regimental buglers sounded the last post and his comrades fired three volleys over his body. It is forbidden to tell you his place of burial, but be assured that as long as the regiment remains here everything possible will be done to keep the grave as I know you would wish it to be kept". 

Fred Bull lived at Loxwell Farm - on the Devizes Road as you leave Derry Hill heading for Sandy Lane. Fred had two brothers; John and George. Fred served with the Wiltshire Regiment. 

Fred was killed in action at the battle of Hooge and Bellewaarde near Ypres in Belgium on 25th September 1915 aged 22. Fred's body was never recovered. His name is carved onto the Menin Gate and is scribed onto his brother's grave (John Bull) at Christ Church. 

There is a small chance that Fred now lies in the Grave of the Unknown Solider in Westminster Abbey. In August 1920 the body that now lies in Westminster Abbey was chosen from unknown British servicemen exhumed from four battle areas, the Aisne, the Somme, Arras and Ypres.

 Service Number 7058, Private in the Wiltshire Regiment 1st Battalion, died 31 October 1914. He is commemorated at Le Touret Memorial Panel 33a.

13th August 1914 to 2nd November 1914 

"On mobilization the 1st Battalion left for France on the 13 August, taking part in the battle of Mons 10 days later and followed by the retreat from Mons. The ‘retreat' was a fighting withdrawal with a number of significant actions fought along that route. The battalion remained intact and ended the retreat on the outskirts of Paris. Once the line stabilized the battalion took part in the First Battle of Ypres, and Neuve Chapelle by which time they had lost 26 officers and 1000 men, the equivalent of a whole battalion."

Alfred was the son of William and Sarah Cleverly of 40 Church Road Derry Hill.

  Service Number: 1754, Royal East Kent Yeomanry 1st/1st. Died 30 August 1916, age 20 years old. Buried ALEXANDRIA WAR CEMETERY Egypt. 

Albert was the Son of Tom and Louisa Daniels, of 24 Derry Hill (opposite the Lansdowne Arms at the top of Old Derry Hill), Calne, Wilts. In her book on Derry Hill, Gladys Daniels gives us a glimpse of life then. In the 1911 census Albert was recorded as a Gardener.

  Frederick Charles Evans. Private 8913. 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment. Killed in action 16th January 1915 aged 19. Son of Henry and Anne Evans (nee Alexander). Born 1895 Calne, enlisted Devizes and resident Lacock. Commemorated Wytschaete Military Cemetery and on the Lacock and Derry Hill War Memorial.

The 1st Battalion spent the first few months on 1915 on the Messines Ridge engaged in Trench warfare.

On the night of the 15th January 1915 there was heavy rifle and gun fire at 7p.m. The enemy did not reply to any extent. 1 man killed. 

On the 16th January 1915 - a quiet day, a farm just in rear of Battalion HQ took fire, and the enemy put some shrapnel over, presumably at the smoke. Relieved about 7p.m. by 5th Fusiliers. 2 men killed. 1 man wounded.

 Died on 28th Feb 1919 (after Armistice).  A private in the Somerset Light Infantry Battalion: 1st Battalion and was 20 years old. 

He is buried at LA LOUVIERE TOWN CEMETERY, Belgium. No. 30 Casualty Clearing Station was at La Louviere after the Armistice, from December 1918 to April 1919. Lived at 114 Norley Lane and was the son of William and Martha Freegard. 

His headstone reads "And behold, I come quickly and my reward is with me".

Private Herbert Thomas James Fortune 290779 2nd Bn Devonshire Regiment. Died on 31st May 1918 aged 20 years old. His final resting place is unknown. Herbert’s name is listed on the Soissons Memorial in France. France. Herbert was the son of Thomas and Mary Jane.

On 27th May 1918 when the British trenches were being subjected to fierce attack, the 2nd battalion Devonshire Regiment repelled succesive enemy assaults with gallantry and determination and maintains an unbroken front until a late hour. The staunchness of this battalion permitted defence south of Aisne to be reorganised and their occupation by reinforcements to be completed. Inspired by their gallant commander Lt Col. R. H. Anderson-Morshead DSO in the face of intense bombardment the few survivors of the battalion though isolated without hope of assistance held on to their trenches north of the river and fought to the last with unhesitating obedience to orders. Thus the whole battalion – Colonel, 28 officers and 552 non-commissioned officers and men responded with one accord and offered their lives in ungrudging sacrifice to the sacred cause of the allies. 

The Fortunes lived in ‘Fair View’ Sheldon Road, Chippenham, Wilts. In 1911, Herbert Thomas and his family are in Chippenham where he and older brother Thomas are helping their father to run a market garden - supplying fruit and vegetables to the town. There are two other sons and four girls - two at school but the youngest are aged four and one.

Herbert is named on the Derry Hill war memorial. Together with over 100 others, Herbert is named on a screen within St. Andrew’s Church and at Causeway Methodist Church - “To the Memory of the Chippenham Brotherhood who Gave Their Lives”. The centre of Chippenham has a Cenotaph with panels containing 160 names. In the 1980’s, the Pewsham housing development was being created on the outskirts of Chippenham and thirty-nine new roads needed to be named. The town council decided that tribute should be paid to those lost in both world wars, so took names from Chippenham’s main war memorial. The curator of the local museum compiled a list of those who had particularly strong local connections. Herbert Thomas James is memorialised in the name of ‘Fortune Way’ at Pewsham, Chippenham.