Author name: Graham Adams

6th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment Arthur Frederick Stephens was born in Gloucester in the second half of 1898 and baptised in St Luke’s Church on 5 July 1899. His father, John Joseph, was a boiler maker and his mother was Elizabeth (née Andrews). In 1899 they lived at 42 Alma Place, Tredworth, Gloucester. Identification of the […]

Motor Transport, Army Service Corps Christopher James Staite was born in Cheltenham on 23 May 1896, the son of Richard and Maria Arabella Staite. He was baptised at Holy Trinity Church, Cheltenham on 21 June 1896. By the time of the 1911 Census the Staite family had moved to The Cycle Works at Coleford in

9th Company, Royal Garrison Artillery There are a couple of unusual features of Frederick Stafford’s story, one is that he has a surviving Army Service Record and an Army Pension Record, the other is that these records state he only served ‘at Home’, when in fact he served abroad, in Gibraltar (which was probably considered

Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire Regiment) Harry Leonard Squibb was the son of William and Rosina Squibb of Dorchester, where he was born in 1890, one of their six children shown on the 1891 Census. His father was a bricklayer and became a widower in 1902, when Rosina died, aged 53. In 1911 Harry had moved

Grenadier Guards Thomas Spiers was born at Dumbleton, north Gloucestershire on 10 July 1880, the son of Sarah Spiers, a cook and domestic servant who was aged 19 at the time and apparently unmarried. She married Charles Sallis on 1 February 1883 and in the 1891 Census he is shown as being Charles Sallis’ stepson.

3/7th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment Herbert Spiers’ time in the Army was very short and the circumstances of his death were unusual for the time and place. Herbert Henry Spiers was born in Griffiths Town, near Pontypool, South Wales in 1876. His parents were William Henry Spiers, a lock keeper (1850-1901) and his wife Ann (née

3rd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment Samuel John Spencer was born in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire in 1871, the son of John and Fanny Spencer: he was one of twelve children born to the couple by the time of the 1911 Census, eight surviving. He married Flora Griffin in 1904 and the 1911 Census records the couple living at

Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps Kathleen (Kitty) Rose Sollis is one of only three servicewomen, from the time of the Great War, known to be buried in the county of Gloucestershire. Despite having a standard CWGC headstone in Tewkesbury Cemetery her name does not appear on the Tewkesbury War Memorial. Unfortunately her Service Record has not

Royal Engineers (Staff) Ernest Dudley Smythies was born on 29 April 1887 in Rosario, Argentina, where his parents had emigrated to become ranchers. He was the son of Frederick Kynnersly and Frances Harriott (née Egremont). He had two brothers (Wilfred March (born1876) and Reginald Eric (born 1888) and a sister Margarita Hilda (born 1890). Wilfred

1/5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment William James Smith was born at Coberley, Gloucestershire in 1878, the son of Alfred and Alice Cooper Smith, of Charlton Kings. Prior to the war he was a plumber employed by Mr Yates of Bennington Street, Cheltenham. In 1900 he married his wife Alice and the 1901 Census shows them living

Royal Navy – HMS Tiger William Charles Smith was born on 22 September 1884 at Ruscombe, Gloucestershire. He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 16 January 1901, at the age of 16. He gained the rank of Boy First Class on 17 October of that year and on 22 September 1902,