Royal Field Artillery
Philip Dance was born in Marlcliff, Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire and baptised on 13th September 1891 at Bidford. He was the son of William Dance and Sarah Ann Cotterell, and his siblings included (Charles (1881), William (1882-1882),Walter (1889), William John (1897), Cyrns George (1899) and Horace (1903).
He was living with his family at Marlcliff in 1901 and 1911, and the latter census recorded him as a Farm Labourer. He married 17 year-old Annie Elizabeth Betteridge in Stow-on-the-Wold just before the outbreak of war in 1914, and they had a son Philip who was born in Alcester, Warwickshire on June 1915.
Philip enlisted in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire and initially served with the Royal Field Artillery as a Driver, with Service Number 130236. Having been wounded, he was transferred for ‘home service’ to 449th Agricultural Company. Labour Corps (Service Number 143146), with their HQ based in Taunton, Somerset, probably due to him being no longer fit for front line duties. His Theatre of War was given as ‘Home’.
He died on 28 June 1918 in Bridgwater, Somerset, and was buried on 3 July, aged 26 years, in Stow-on-the-Wold Cemetery (Grave Number Cons 50) and he has a standard CWGC headstone.
His widow, Annie Elizabeth, remarried Arthur Stanley Winfield on 26 April 1919 and then lived at Goldicote Cottage, Stratford-on-Avon.
Philip is commemorated in St Edward’s Church, Foss Way, Stow-on-the-Wold. The memorial, which is cut directly onto the church wall, shows the casualties, their ages, and dates of death. He was one of 45 men from Stow who died in WW1.
Researched by Baden Russell June 2021