Author name: Graham Adams

Royal Army Medical Corps George Reginald Ellis was born on 21 March 1885 at Bishop Auckland, Co Durham and his home was there, at a house called The Elms. He was the second son of Rosa Shafto (née Stratton) and George William Ellis. Although a native of Bishop Auckland he was educated at Spondon House […]

Royal Navy – HMS Agincourt William Elliott was the only son of Mark and Sarah Elliott and was born in Gloucester on 7 September 1878. His father had a sea going connection, as a Coast Guard and later census returns show him located at various coastal stations in southern England. He joined the Royal Navy

62nd Squadron, Royal Flying Corps David Roderick Eccles was a Canadian, who lived in the USA and who joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), training in Canada before arriving in Gloucestershire. Little is known of his early life: a Canadian Veterans’ website states he was born in the UK but there is no evidence for

10th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment The adage, ‘never believe what is written in the newspapers’ is true, in respect of Private Harry Emmanuel Dyer, for reasons explained below. Harry Emmanuel Dyer was born in 1891 in Sevenhampton, near Andoversford, Gloucestershire and was baptised in the parish church on 8 March 1891.He was the son of

1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards Alfred Dyde was born in 1893 at in Kineton, Gloucestershire, one of five sons born to Charles William and Emily Dyde. Charles was a carter. According to his Medal Index Card he landed in France on 6 October 1914. The 1st Grenadier Guards would have been involved in several actions during

95th Battalion, Training Reserve Thomas Dunn was born at Awre on 14 February 1899, son of Thomas Denner Dunn (1865-1939), a farm carpenter, and Elizabeth (formerly Brown) (1881-1948). The family lived at Rose Cottage, Awre. On leaving school Tom Dunn was employed as a farm worker. Tom Dunn joined the Army at Bristol on 3

8th Training Squadron, Australian Flying Corps Robert Alexander Dunn was born at Ballarat, Victoria on 3 February 1894, the son of Alexander and Margaret Dunn, of Numurkah, Victoria, Australia. He was educated at University College, Armadale (an inner suburb of Melbourne) and at the time of enlistment his occupation was a ‘managing clerk’. Before enlisting

Royal Navy – HMS Impregnable John Gordon Dunn was born at Shipton-on-Stour, Worcestershire on 17 September 1899. He was the son of Fred and Helen Dunn and one of three children born to them. His father may have died in 1901, and he appears in the 1901 census (then aged one) as being cared for

2nd Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) Francis Wallace Drew, known as ‘Frank’, was born in Gloucester in 1887. His parents were George William Drew (1855-1914) and Martha (née Morgan: 1854-1904) and his siblings were George William H (born 1914), John Hope (1883), Henry (Harry) Alfred (1889), Thomas (Tom) Edwin (1893) and Laura Ann (1896). At

7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade Percy Edward Drake was born in Folkestone, Kent in 1891, the son of Ralph Edward and Mary Ann Drake of 143 High Street, Cheriton. At the time of the Great War he was working as a cellar man and in July 1915 was living in Mount Pleasant Road, Tottenham, north London.