Stoke Abbott: Church of St Mary (Dorset)
The War Memorial (in the porch)
Identifications:
First World War
Gunner Richard George Meech (Service No: 161190), 5th Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery; died 26 October 1918, aged 24; buried in Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, Pas-de-Calais (VI. C. 46.); son of Frank and Mary Meech, of Stoke Abbott, Beaminster, Dorset: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/4026470/MEECH,%20RICH...
Bombadier G Baker (Service No: 87503), "C" Bty. 124th Bde., Royal Field Artillery; died 2 August 1918; buried in Couin New British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais (G. 7.); husband of Mrs. E. M. Baker, of Stoke Abbott, Beaminster, Dorset: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/175312/BAKER,%20G
Private Alfred Ackerman (Service No: 926013), 152nd Bn., Canadian Infantry; died 9 September 1916, aged 32; buried in Woodrow Community Cemetery, Saskatchewan (B. 8. L. 1.); son of Levi and Mary Ann Ackerman, of Stoke Abbott, Beaminster, Dorset, England; [Private Ackerman's attestation paper has been digitised by Library and Archives Canada; they reveal that he was born at Stoke Abbott on 28 June 1884; that his trade was farming, that he was resident in La Flache [Lafleche?], Saskatchewan; that his next of kin was his father Levi Ackerman; that he attested at Camp Hughes, Manitoba on 6 August 1916]: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2764767/ACKERMAN,%20A...
Private Wilfred John Swaffield (Service No: 16538), 1st Bn., Dorsetshire Regiment; died 4 February 1917, aged 22; buried in Beaumont-Hamel British Cemetery, Somme, France (B. 42.); son of John and Mary Jane Swaffield, of Stoke Abbott, Beaminster, Dorset: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/180784/SWAFFIELD,%20W...
Rifleman George Wakely (Service No: 472898), 1st/12th Bn., London Regiment (The Rangers); died 7 October 1916; name recorded on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France (Pier and Face 9 C.): www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/818302/WAKELY,%20GEORGE
Lance Corporal John Charles Wakely (Service No: 235), 42nd Bn., Australian Infantry, A.I.F.; died 2 August 1917; buried in Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, Nord, France (I. V. 39.); [Lance Corporal Wakely's papers have been digitised by the National Archives of Australia; they reveal that he attested at Toowoomba, Queensland on 16 November 1915, aged 22; that his next of kin was his father, Frederick George Wakely of Stoke Abbott; that his trade was fencing; that he had previously served 18 months in the Territorials; that he travelled overseas in November 1916, wounded twice and died of wounds at 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station; his personal effects were sent to his father in September, comprising: "Disc, 2 Pipes, Cigarette holder, Fountain pen, Stylo pen (broken), Whistle and lanyard, Tobacco pouch, Note book, Wallet, Comb, Lock of hair, Photos, Cards, Letters, 3 Coins"]: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/204176/WAKELY,%20JOHN...
Private Sidney Webber (Service No: 9982), 1st Bn., Dorsetshire Regiment; died 12 July 1916, aged 21; buried in Etretat Churchyard, Seine-Maritime, France (II. D. 7.): www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/101858/WEBBER,%20SIDNEY
Private H. Wood (Service No: 27418), 6th Bn., Dorsetshire Regiment; died 24 July 1917; buried in Brown's Copse Cemetery, Roeux, Pas-de-Calais, France (IV. A. 27.): www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/568494/WOOD,%20H
Private C. G. Wood (Service No: 103126), 54th Bn., Canadian Infantry; died 6 September 1917; name recorded on the Vimy Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France; [Private Colin George Wood's CEF attestation paper is available from Library and Archives Canada; they reveal that he was born 29 September 1886 in Devonshire, that his next-of-kin (his mother) lived at Laverstock, Beaminster, and that his trade was a butcher; he enlisted at Victoria, BC on 9 October 1915]: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1577541/WOOD,%20C%20G
[Both Richard George Meech and Wilfred John Swaffield were bellringers at Stoke Abbot; their names are included in the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers Roll of Honour]
Second World War
Chief Stoker Alfred Samuel Clarke (Service No: D/K 159), Royal Navy (H.M.S. Courageous); died 17 September 1939, aged 50; name recorded on the Plymouth Naval Memorial (Panel 34, Column 1.); son of Robert and Emma Clarke; husband of Beatrice Lucy Clarke, of Stoke Abbott, Dorsetshire; [HMS Courageous was a cruiser built during the First World War, converted to an aircraft carrier in the mid-1920s; on the 17 September 1939, she was torpedoed in the Western Approaches by U-29 and sunk with the loss of 519 lives]: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2476984/CLARKE,%20ALF...
Stoke Abbott: Church of St Mary (Dorset)
The War Memorial (in the porch)
Identifications:
First World War
Gunner Richard George Meech (Service No: 161190), 5th Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery; died 26 October 1918, aged 24; buried in Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, Pas-de-Calais (VI. C. 46.); son of Frank and Mary Meech, of Stoke Abbott, Beaminster, Dorset: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/4026470/MEECH,%20RICH...
Bombadier G Baker (Service No: 87503), "C" Bty. 124th Bde., Royal Field Artillery; died 2 August 1918; buried in Couin New British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais (G. 7.); husband of Mrs. E. M. Baker, of Stoke Abbott, Beaminster, Dorset: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/175312/BAKER,%20G
Private Alfred Ackerman (Service No: 926013), 152nd Bn., Canadian Infantry; died 9 September 1916, aged 32; buried in Woodrow Community Cemetery, Saskatchewan (B. 8. L. 1.); son of Levi and Mary Ann Ackerman, of Stoke Abbott, Beaminster, Dorset, England; [Private Ackerman's attestation paper has been digitised by Library and Archives Canada; they reveal that he was born at Stoke Abbott on 28 June 1884; that his trade was farming, that he was resident in La Flache [Lafleche?], Saskatchewan; that his next of kin was his father Levi Ackerman; that he attested at Camp Hughes, Manitoba on 6 August 1916]: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2764767/ACKERMAN,%20A...
Private Wilfred John Swaffield (Service No: 16538), 1st Bn., Dorsetshire Regiment; died 4 February 1917, aged 22; buried in Beaumont-Hamel British Cemetery, Somme, France (B. 42.); son of John and Mary Jane Swaffield, of Stoke Abbott, Beaminster, Dorset: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/180784/SWAFFIELD,%20W...
Rifleman George Wakely (Service No: 472898), 1st/12th Bn., London Regiment (The Rangers); died 7 October 1916; name recorded on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France (Pier and Face 9 C.): www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/818302/WAKELY,%20GEORGE
Lance Corporal John Charles Wakely (Service No: 235), 42nd Bn., Australian Infantry, A.I.F.; died 2 August 1917; buried in Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, Nord, France (I. V. 39.); [Lance Corporal Wakely's papers have been digitised by the National Archives of Australia; they reveal that he attested at Toowoomba, Queensland on 16 November 1915, aged 22; that his next of kin was his father, Frederick George Wakely of Stoke Abbott; that his trade was fencing; that he had previously served 18 months in the Territorials; that he travelled overseas in November 1916, wounded twice and died of wounds at 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station; his personal effects were sent to his father in September, comprising: "Disc, 2 Pipes, Cigarette holder, Fountain pen, Stylo pen (broken), Whistle and lanyard, Tobacco pouch, Note book, Wallet, Comb, Lock of hair, Photos, Cards, Letters, 3 Coins"]: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/204176/WAKELY,%20JOHN...
Private Sidney Webber (Service No: 9982), 1st Bn., Dorsetshire Regiment; died 12 July 1916, aged 21; buried in Etretat Churchyard, Seine-Maritime, France (II. D. 7.): www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/101858/WEBBER,%20SIDNEY
Private H. Wood (Service No: 27418), 6th Bn., Dorsetshire Regiment; died 24 July 1917; buried in Brown's Copse Cemetery, Roeux, Pas-de-Calais, France (IV. A. 27.): www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/568494/WOOD,%20H
Private C. G. Wood (Service No: 103126), 54th Bn., Canadian Infantry; died 6 September 1917; name recorded on the Vimy Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France; [Private Colin George Wood's CEF attestation paper is available from Library and Archives Canada; they reveal that he was born 29 September 1886 in Devonshire, that his next-of-kin (his mother) lived at Laverstock, Beaminster, and that his trade was a butcher; he enlisted at Victoria, BC on 9 October 1915]: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1577541/WOOD,%20C%20G
[Both Richard George Meech and Wilfred John Swaffield were bellringers at Stoke Abbot; their names are included in the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers Roll of Honour]
Second World War
Chief Stoker Alfred Samuel Clarke (Service No: D/K 159), Royal Navy (H.M.S. Courageous); died 17 September 1939, aged 50; name recorded on the Plymouth Naval Memorial (Panel 34, Column 1.); son of Robert and Emma Clarke; husband of Beatrice Lucy Clarke, of Stoke Abbott, Dorsetshire; [HMS Courageous was a cruiser built during the First World War, converted to an aircraft carrier in the mid-1920s; on the 17 September 1939, she was torpedoed in the Western Approaches by U-29 and sunk with the loss of 519 lives]: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2476984/CLARKE,%20ALF...