R/2556 Able Seaman, Anson Battalion, Royal Naval Division. Died in France 26 October 1917. Aged 35. Son of Mary Ann Bowden (w); husband of Alice Bowden of Peter Street,  Bradninch.  Born in Bradninch 25 December 1882. 1901 Harry a hawker on glaze rolls in paper mill - of Mary Ann Bowden (widow) (58) Peter Street – a rag sorter at Paper Mill – neighbour of the Vicary’s. In 1891 Mary was also a widow in the Workhouse neighbouring Dunmore & working in Paper Mill. Harry may have married Jan-Mar 1905 – Tiverton district – to an Alice Westcott. No known grave. Commemorated on TYNE COT MEMORIAL, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 2 to 3 and 162 to 162A.

862127 Private, 4th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. Died of Acute Lobar Pneumonia at No. 7 General Hospital, St. Omer, 13 September 1917. Aged 38. Son of Thomas and Annie Glass, of Bradninch; husband of Isabella E. Glass, of 75, Vine Avenue, West Toronto.  Born in Bradninch 28 August 1879. Warehouseman by trade. Attested and passed fit 4 February 1916 in Toronto, Canada, aged 36 years 5 months, height 5 feet 7½ inches, chest 39½ inches, dark complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair, religious denomination Church of England. Buried in LONGUENESSE (ST. OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot IV. Row D. Grave 78. National Archives of Canda Accession Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 3578 - 13

Toronto Evening Telegram – 20 September 1917
A few days ago it was reported that Pte. Thomas Glass was ill and his wife has just been informed that the malady has terminated fatally. The blow is all the greater to the family as his letters have invariably been most cheerful and he wrote of playing cricket at the front, being evidently in excellent form. He was an Englishman by birth and came to Canada about four years ago from Devonshire. His widow and two children live at 1684 Dunbas St.

 

 

 

Toronto Star – 5 October 1917
The faint hope which his widow and others have entertained that a mistake had been made when the report came through that Pte. Thomas Glass of West Toronto had died in France was dispelled yesterday when Mrs. Glass received a letter from sergeant working in the same moveable hospital in which her husband had been employed. The writer said “his dear old friend, Tom,” had been ill off and on for some time: that he had suffered with “trench fever” and that complaining of pains in the head, he was sent to a base hospital, where he died three days later. The same mail brought a most cheerful letter, written by Pte. Glass four days before his death. In it he spoke of being in splendid health, recounted the successful doings of the cricket club, of which he was the captain; and referred to having renewed the acquaintance of Fred Lefite and other old comrades of the Sportsmen’s Battalion.

Toronto Star – 21 September 1917
Another well-known Toronto cricketer has made the supreme sacrifice. The reported death of Tom Glass, who enlisted with and went away with the Sportsmen's Battalion, comes as a shock to his many cricketting friends, who only last week read a letter received from him by The Star, in which he referred to the success of the overseas cricket club of which he was appointed captain. When the 180th band was broken up, Bandsman Glass transferred to another unit, and, going to France, was dispensary of a base hospital, and in a recent letter received by his wife, who resides at 1684 Dundas street, he spoke of his being in the best of health. Tom was very popular as a cricketer. For two or three years before enlisting he was the captain of the West Toronto Club, and he was generally relied upon as an aggressive bastman, to make runs for his side. It was he who formed, in conjunction with his chums, Pte. Walter Keen and Sergt. Lynch, also members of the western club, the Sportman's cricket team, and it was due largely to his exertions as vice-captain that the cricketers of the basttalion won the majority of the games in which they engaged before they wen overseas. He was a good musician, and was at one time sergeant in the Weston band. He was also a personal friend of poor old Sam Grimshaw, anorther Toronto cricketer who has fallen in the fight.

775295 Private, 38th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment).   Died 11 January 1917. Aged 27. Born 16 December 1891 in Torquay. Son of Thomas and Beatrice Dora Godfrey, of Bradninch. Tanner by trade. Formerly in 7th Devonshire Cyclists. Unmarried. Enlisted and passed fit 19 November 1915 at 1452 Dundas Street, Toronto, Canada, aged 23 years 121 months, heoght 4 feet 6½ inches, chest 35½ inches, fair complexion, bklue eyes, light brown hair, religious denomination Methodist. Buried in ECOIVRES MILITARY CEMETERY, MONT-ST. ELOI, Pas de Calais, France. Plot IV. Row B. Grave 5. National Archives of Canada Accession Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 3601 - 11

J/21117 Able Seaman, H.M.S. Defence, Royal Navy. Died at the Battle of Jutland 31 May 1916. Aged 21. Son of John and Margaret Haydon of the "The Meeches", West End, Bradninch. Born in Bradninch 25 May 1895. No known grave. Commemorated on PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Devon. Panel 12.

Note: H.M.S. Defence, Battle of Jutland, 31st May -1st June 1916. She was the flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Robert Arbuthnot, leading the First Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. The other ships of the squadron (HMS Warrior, HMS Duke of Edinburgh, and HMS Black Prince) were of a similar outmoded class.

While closing for the kill at high speed with the SMS Wiesbaden, drifting and crippled between the German and British fleets, Defence presented a target for the combined firepower of the German battlecruisers, whose proximity was hidden by smoke and mist. After initial damage she was struck by a salvo which blew up her after magazine, triggering explosions on the ammunition rails leading to the broadside 7.5 inch guns. Within seconds, another salvo immediately hit forward, and she blew up in a spectacular explosion, sinking with the loss of Arbuthnot and her entire complement of 903 men.

7806 Private Hollett, 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Died of wounds 23 September 1914. Aged 28. Born Bradninch, Cullompton, enlisted Exeter, resident Bradninch. Son of James Hollett; husband of the late Lily Hollett. Born in Bradninch in 1886. Buried in VILLENEUVE-ST. GEORGES OLD COMMUNAL CEMETERY, Val de Marne, France. Plot/Row/Section I. Grave 735.

Corporal 2309, 14th (County of London) Battalion (London Scottish), London Regiment. Killed in action 6 May 1915. Aged 30. Enlisted London, resident Hendon. Son of Robert Holmes Robertson and Jessie Horsburgh Robertson, late of Stonelaw House, Rutherglen, Lanarkshire. Buried in RUE-DES-BERCEAUX MILITARY CEMETERY, RICHEBOURG-L'AVOUE, Pas de Calais, France. Plot II. Row F. Grave 7.

Extract from De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour 1914-1918 Volume 1, page 308:

ROBERTSON, ROBERT HORSBURGH, Corpl., No. 2309, 14th Battn. (London Scott,kb) The LondonRegt. (T.F.), 2nd s. of Robert Holmes Robertson, of Stonelaw House, Rutherglen, his wife, Jessie, dau. of Robert Horsburgh, and nephew of John Horsburgh, of the Hele Paper Co., Ltd., of Cullompton, Co. Devon ; b. Rutherglen, 11 Oct. 1884 ; educ. Stonelaw School and Glasgow Academy, was in business with uncle at the Hele Paper Co., Ltd., but on the outbreak of war immediately joined the Scottish, and was early drafted to France. He quickly rose to be a corpl., and was on the eve of being gazetted to a commission when he shot by a bullet at dawn on 6 May, 1915 ; His Capt. wrote : " He was a splendid fellow and had done so well that he was offered and accepted a commission in the regt. He was greatly loved by his comrades." He was buried at Richebourg in an orchard by the remainder, of the " five inseparables," of whom he had one, and a cross marks the spot.

7805 Private, 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Died of wounds 26 October 1914. Aged 27.  Born and resident Bradninch, enlisted Exter. Son of John and Florence Wyatt. Born in Bradninch in 1887. Buried in BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot I. Row B. Grave 17.