9612 Pte Cyril E Cook, 5th Bn, Wilts Regt

9612 Private Cyril Edward Cook of the 5th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment was killed in action on Gallipoli on the 15th December 1915. Cyril was just seventeen years old, the son of Arthur Ernest and Florence Ethel Cook of 29 Park Road, Harringay, London. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial. Soldiers Died in The Great War notes that he was born in Barking and living in East Finchley when he joined up. He enlisted at Lambeth.

Cyril's birth was registered in the March quarter of 1899 and he appears on the 1901 census with his parents and two siblings living at 5 Park Hall Parade in Finchley. His army number dates to August 1914 which means that he was an early volunteer and probably no older than 16; one of Lord Kitchener's youngest recruits.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

6405 Pte Charles W Nippress, 1st Bn, Wilts Regt

6405 Private Charles William Nippress of the 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment died of wounds on the 24th September 1914. He was born in Wiltshire, was living in Birmingham and enlisted at Swindon in the second half of 1903. He was almost certainly on the reserve when war was declared and he arrived overseas in France on the 31st August 1914. He was the husband of Elsie Kate Nippress, of 1, Lowe St., Camp Hill, Birmingham and she later applied for her late husband’s medals. He is buried in Les Gonards Cemetery at Versailles.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Lt Charles E Moulton, 6th Bn, Wiltshire Regt

Lieutenant Charles Eric Moulton of the 6th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, was killed in action on the 16th September 1915. He was 26 years old, the son of John and Alice Blanche Moulton, of The Hall, Bradford-on-Avon. John Moulton would have been around 75 years old when his son was killed. He was a JP and seriously wealthy. The 1911 census shows Charles (aged 21) living with his parents, and waited on by a footman, cook, maid, two housemaids and a kitchenmaid. Charles is buried in Brown's Road Military Cemetery at Festubert.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Officers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
1911 Census

14048 Pte John F Spilsbury, 1st Bn, Wilts Regt

14048 Private John Frederick Spilsburyof the 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, died on the 4th July 1916.

John was born in Moseley, Warwickshire, and was living in Birmingham at the outbreak of the war. He enlisted there in September 1914, originally joining the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, but tranferring to the Wiltshire Regiment probably in December 1914 or January 1915. He arrived overseas in France on the 21st September 1915 but died in England on the 4th July the following year. Soldiers Died in The Great War simply states that he "died" which almost certainly means that he died as a result of sickness. He is buried in Birmingham's Yardley Cemetery.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

3/9695 Pte Percy Dudman, 2nd Bn, Wiltshire Regt

Day two of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and another 537 British Army deaths (according to Soldiers Died in The Great War). 3/9695 Private Percy Dudman of B Company, the 2nd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, was killed in action on the 11th March 1915. He was born in Tollard Royal, Wiltshire and enlisted at Salisbury.

Percy's number indicates that he originally joined the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion in January 1912. When Britain went to war he presumably transferred to the 2nd Battalion fairly soon afterwards but retained his 3rd Battalion number. His service record does not survive, but his medal index card indicates that he arrived overseas on the 20th October 1914.

Percy came from a large family. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes that he was 21 years old, the son of Thomas and Emily Dudman of Hill Side, Pitton, Salisbury. In 1901, Percy appears as an eight-year-old living at Hindon, Wiltshire with his parents and siblings. Thomas Dudman, the head of the family is recorded as a 37-year-old police constable, and Emily was also the same age. The couple had eight children: Albert Dudman (aged 15), Thomas Dudman (aged 14), Daisy M Dudman (aged 12), George Dudman (aged ten), Percy, Walter F Dudman (aged six), Herbert Dudman (aged five), and Harold Dudman (aged two).

There is a birth registered in the June quarter of 1893 for a Percy Charles Dudman and this is probably almost certainly him.

Percy has no known grave and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial. His younger brother Walter, also a Wiltshire Regiment regular soldier, was killed in action on the 4th May 1916. He is buried in Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont St Eloi.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

21045 Pte Percy William Swatton, 1st Bn, Wiltshire Regt

Two hundred and seventy two British officers and men died on the 10th December 1917.

21045 Pte Percy William Swatton of the 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, was killed in action on this day. He was born in Axford, Wiltshire and enlisted at Trowbridge, probably towards the end of May or the beginning of June 1915. At the time of his enlistment he was living at Marlborough.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records basic information about this man, but his unusual surname means that he is easily identified in other archive material. He appears on the 1901 census as a seventeen year old living with his parents and siblings at 25 Head Street, Marlborough. His father Thomas is recorded as a 40 year old bookmaker and shopkeeper running a business on his own account. His mother, Lucy Annie, was older by nine years, and the couple had four sons living with them at the Head Street address. Percy was working as a grocer's porter and then follow Albert Tom Swatton, a 16 year old carpenter's apprentice, William Levester Swatton, a 14 year old shop assistant, and finally James Fergusson Swatton, aged nine.

Albert and James certainly served during WW1 as well, Albert with the Royal Engineers and James with the Wiltshire Regiment. James appears to have joined the regiment two or three months earlier than his brother and he was overseas by 19th July 1915. Percy though, would not go abroad until 1916 at the earliest.

Percy's birth was registered in the June quarter of 1883 which means that he was 34 years old at the time of his death. He is buried in Grevillers British Cemetery. His brothers survived the Great War.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC, Free BMD, 1891 and 1901 Census)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in The Great War