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December 2022 December 2022

was 21 years old.
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY 2022
Frederick Burgess, Army Service Corps, died from wounds sustained during the
Battle of Loos, on 18 November 1915 at the age of 33. He left a widow and four
th
young daughters at 48 West Street, Bere Regis. On Sunday 13 of November Bere Regis villagers gathered again to remember
those that gave there lives for our freedom. We started at the scout hut, where
William Burt was born in Bere Regis and lived in Shitterton. He served with the lots of smartly dressed Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers came together to form
Hampshire Regiment and was killed in action on the 26 October 1918, ten days a procession. Lead by a drummer, to keep us on beat, and followed by other
before the end of the war. He was 21 when he died and was an only son. members of our community. We marched up Manor Farm Road and along West
Street.
Charles Churchill was born in Milborne St Andrew. He enlisted, under age, at 15½
into the 5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. He was 17 when he was sent to
Gallipoli and just 18 when he was killed on the 21 August 1915.
Percy Cobb was born in Bere Regis and lived at Court Green Farm. He was a
Corporal in the Royal Field Artillery and was killed on the 14 April 1917. He was 19
years old.
Percy Cox served with the 1 Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment and died on 11
st
th
August 1918 during the Battle of Amiens, at the age of 22.
His brother, William Cox, was a ship’s cook on HMS Good Hope and died on1st
November 1914, aged 28, when his ship was sunk with the loss of all 1000 sailors
during the Battle of Coronel, the first naval engagement of the Great War.

Arthur Crabbe served with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and was killed in
action on the 2 April 1918 at the age of 36. His parents lived at Roke Farm.
Fred Davis was born in Bere Regis and lived with his widowed mother and 8
siblings in West Street, opposite the Royal Oak. He emigrated to Canada and
enlisted in the Canadian Army. He was killed on the 13 June 1916 during the Battle
for Mount Sorrell. He was 26 years old. He was a cousin of Frank Miller.
Many residents came out
Frank George was born in Bere Regis and was a son of the landlord of the Royal of their houses to watch
Oak. He was a cousin of Thomas Hardy. He was a Second Lieutenant in the 5 and pay their respects to
th
Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment and was killed in Gallipoli, at the age of34, on the the fallen. As the parade
22 August 1915, in the same action as 3 other men from Bere Regis. reached the church, we
all gathered around the
Frederick Johnson was born in Bere Regis and lived in West Street. He emigrated war memorial in the
to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian Forces. He was killed on 6 June 1916 at church yard. This was a time of reflection as we remembered solders in WW1,
the age of 27 together with 200 other soldiers when a mine was exploded WW2 and those closer to our hearts that have served for our country. After the
beneath their trench at Hooge, near Ypres. He is commemorated on the Menin
Gate Memorial to 55,000 men who were killed in the Ypres Salient and who have two minuets silence at 11 o’clock, the Scout flag bearers lead the gathering into
the church. While inside the church, Reverend Jenny lead us in a time of worship
no known grave. and the live band accompanied us with hymns and our national anthem.
Percy Lockyer was born in Bere Regis and lived at Lane End, Middle Heath as a
thatcher’s assistant, He was killed on 14 April 1917 at the age of 34 while serving The Explorers read out the names of the soldiers from our parish that lost their lives
in World War 1 and 2. We heard a bit of the story of each of these soldiers, about
with the 1 Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. He is commemorated on the Thiepval their families and where they lived, their ages when they signed up to fight for our
st
Memorial. country and sadly the age they died. Some of our men were just boys when they

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