9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment

   The 9th (Service) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment was raised at Exeter on the 15th of September 1914 as part of Kitchener's Second New Army. They were attached as Divisional Troops to 20th (Light) Division which assembled in the Aldershot area with brigades at Blackdown, Deepcut and Cowshott, but training was difficult due to lack of equipment. In February 1915 the Division moved to Witley, Godalming and Guildford, then in April they moved to Salisbury Plain, for final training. The 9th Devonshire's left the Division and on the 28th of July they proceeded to France landing at Le Harve. On the 8th of August 1915 they joined 20th Brigade, 7th Division. The were in action in The Battle of Loos. In 1916 They were in action during the Battles of the Somme, including the capture Mametz, The Battle of Bazentin, the attacks on High Wood, The Battle of Delville Wood, The Battle of Guillemont and the Operations on the Ancre. In 1917 They fought during The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and the flanking operations round Bullecourt during The Arras Offensive, before moving to Flanders for the Third Battle of Ypres, seeing action in The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde, The Battle of Poelcapelle and The Second Battle of Passchendaele. In late 1917 the 7th Division was selected to move to Italy. They took up position in the line along the River Piave,in late January 1918. The 9th Devonshires left the Division and returned to France, joining 7th Brigade, 25th Division on the 16th September 1918. They were in action in the Final Advance in Picardy.

4th Oct 1914 Orders Received

5th Oct 1914 On the Move

6th Oct 1914 On the Move

7th Oct 1914 On the Move

8th Oct 1914 On the Move

9th Oct 1914 Anxiety

10th Oct 1914 Withdrawal

11th Oct 1914 Hostile Forces

11th Oct 1914 Orders

12th Oct 1914 On the March

13th Oct 1914 Enemy Closes

14th Oct 1914 On the March

15th Oct 1914 Hostile Column

16th Oct 1914 Line Advanced

17th Oct 1914 Enemy Active

18th Oct 1914 Planning

19th Oct 1914 Hard Fighting

20th Oct 1914 Defensive Line

21st Oct 1914 Hard Fighting

22nd Oct 1914 Bombardment

23rd Oct 1914 Under Fire

24th Oct 1914 Enemy Break Through

25th Oct 1914 Enemy Break Through

26th Oct 1914 Forced Back

27th Oct 1914 Orders Received

28th Oct 1914 Artillery Active

29th Oct 1914 Hard Fighting

30th Oct 1914 Hard Fighting

31st Oct 1914 Hard Fighting

30th Aug 1915 Reliefs

21st Sep 1915 Orders

24th Sep 1915 On the March

25th Sep 1915 Over the Top

26th Sep 1915 Counter Attack

27th Sep 1915 Reliefs

28th Sep 1915 Working Parties

29th Sep 1915 Orders Received

30th Sep 1915 Reliefs

16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme

1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets

11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment

26th Dec 1915 Lucky for Once

10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens

9th February 1916 Call Ups

3rd Aug 1917 Relief

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.

Want to know more about 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment?

There are:5275 items tagged 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment available in our Library

These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Those known to have served with
9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Abrahams George. Pte. (d.30th Sep 1915)
Anstiss Robert John. L/Cpl. (d.6th September 1916)
Bastable Sampson Edward. Pte. (d.4th Jan 1917)
Bastable Sampson Edward. Pte. (d.4th Jan 1917)
Bickle Thomas. Pte. (d.26th Oct 1917)
Black Edward. Pte. (d.7th May 1917)
Chambers James. Pte. (d.9th June 1916)
Clark Thomas Henry. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
Drew William. Pte. (d.24th Apr 1917)
Fear Samuel. Pte (d.11th Nov 1915)
Hodge Edward Lanyon. Pte. (d.10th August 1916)
Humphrey William Frederick. Pte (d.7 July 1918)
Mann John Ivor Castle. Pte. (d.13th Oct 1917)
Matthews Sidney Wright. Pte.
Mogford Frederick George. L/Sgt. (d.19th Sep 1916)
Oakes Edwin James. Pte. (d.6th October 1917)
Owen Henry. Pte. (d.17th Feb 1917)
Roberts Francis John. Sergeant
Roberts Francis J.. Sgt.
Saunders Harry. Cpl. (d.5th Oct 1917)
Tracey Geoffrey Eugene. Lt. (d.25th September 1915)
Vincent John Wright. Cpl.
Warren William Norrish. Pte. (d.1st Apr 1916)
Williams DCM, MM James Norman. Sgt. (d.5th Oct 1918)
Wood Charles. Pte. (d.10th October 1917)

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment from other sources.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.

Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text.

Looking for help with Family History Research?
Please see Family History FAQ's

Please note: We are unable to provide individual research.

Can you help?
The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors.
If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

19th Nov 2024
Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 264989 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit.

Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.

World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery
Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.

Pte. Sampson Edward "Samson" Bastable 9th (Service) Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.4th Jan 1917)

He was a bricklayer, a single man. According to the Civil Registration Birth Index 1837-1915, he was born in 1883, somewhere between January and March. According to the De Ruvigny Roll of Honour, he was born 31st December 1885, but I have found this to be wrong, as proved by the 1891, 1901, and 1911 censuses. I wonder why or how they got the date wrong. On some records though he is listed as Samson (without the p) instead of Sampson. He has two service records. One says he was Soldier Number 23343, Private, South Staffordshire Regiment. The other says he was Soldier Number 30195, Private, 9th Service Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. He is buried at the Munich Trench British Cemetery at Beaumont-Hamel, plot C 22.
Tony Moore

Add to this record.

Sgt. Francis J. Roberts 9th Btn. Devonshire Regiment

Francis Roberts was born in Plymouth, Devon on 5 May 1894. He served with the Devonshire Regiment from 1914 to 1918. Later, during WWII, he served with the Home Guard, 5th Btn., St. Austell in Cornwall from 2nd of November 1942 until 31st of December 1944. According to my research, original records of the Devonshire Regiment were destroyed by enemy bombing during WWII. I have therefore extracted from books, The Bloody Eleventh and C. T. Atkinson, The Devonshire Regiment 1914-1918, the following information in trying to trace were my father was. Certain facts (e.g., Mametz and Italy) were given by F. J. Roberts, otherwise one presumes he could have been in many or all of the places mentioned. The chapter and page numbers cited below are for the Devonshire Regiment Book:
Assuming a volunteer joined on 31st of January 1916, it is thought his training took up to the usual period of 6 months. Therefore, he would not have been sent to France until July or August of that year.
Chapter XII, page 146: On 19th July 1916, having its front line at Mametz (map ref J7), the Borderers on the left, then the 9th Devons and the 2nd Gordons beyond them.
Page 148/9: In Shrine Alley, which swept round Mansel Copse (Picardy), the company on the right of the 9th Devons had to move. Assembly trenches had therefore been dug 250 yards further back, and in these the troops formed up on the evening of 30 June. The 9th Devons had A and B companies in front and company C in second line as support.
Page 153: From 2 July to 5 July, the 9th Devons were withdrawn for reorganisation.
Chapter XIII, page 154: On 11 July 1916 at Bazentin (map J7), yards from the German trenches on the ridge and between Bazentine and Lonueval, the 9th Devons were the first to go into the new front line through Fricourt and Marlborough Wood to Caterpillar Valley. The second stage of The Battle of the Somme, the contest for the main ridge, was ushered in on 14 July. In the interval, large drafts had been received and the 9th Devons had 486 men coming from other West Country and Southern regiments.
Page 155: In the 20th Brigade, the 8th Devons on the right, the Borders on the left, and the Gordons in support the of the 9th were holding the whole of the brigade’s front until the attack began and being drawn into reserve as the other units passed through.
Page 167: Since the capture of Mametz (map J7), there was less fighting for the 9th Devons as construction work was carried on at Ailly sur Somme.
Page 175: On 3 September, whilst the Division had 5 weeks rest, the 8th and 9th Devons, in the middle of a football match, were unexpectedly summoned back to the fray at Ypres (Ieper) or Vimy or Ploegsteert. They embussed at Buire. The 9th led the way, debussing at Mametz (map J7), then to Montauban (map J7) near Toulose.
Page 177: The attack of the 9th Devons was gallantly launched, but they had a painful and tedious march to their position near Ginchy (map J7) and were in support of the Gordons. It was a bitter memory for the 8th and 9th Devons.
Page 181: Near Morval (map K7) and route D20.
Page 193: On 21 November, both battalions tramped to Bertrancourt and on the 23rd to Mailly Maillet (map I7) near Abbeville, and received reinforcements of 220 men.
Page 235/6: On 1 January 1917, the 9th Devons were at Hope Post. There was fighting. However, from 20 January until the end of February, they were in reserve and training. Twenty-four officers and 203 enlisted men joined the 9th, which now mustered a total of 46 officers and 1,030 enlisted.
Page 241: On 8 and 9 March, the Battalion was in Mailly Maillet, training and working.
Page 242: From 21 to 26 March, they were in the front line, and the 9th relieved the Gordons on the right of the Brigade.
Page 243 In April, the fight for Ecoust (map K6) near Arras was entrusted to both the 8th and the 9th, and after their success at Ecoust they were out of the line until 20 April.
Page 250: On 7 May, the Gordons came up to attack Bullecourt near Ecoust (map K6). Twenty-two men were killed and 7 were listed as missing. Ten men awarded the Military Medal.
Page 254: From May to September, there was a long spell of quiet. At Bailleulost, then Dickebusch, then Reninghelst in Belgium, the 8th and 9th Devons were inspected, then entrained for Proven. At Steenvoorde ( west of Hazbrouck), training took place at St. Martin au Leert. On 29 September, with a strength approximately 1,000 men, they proceeded to Abeele, 17 km. west of Ypres.
Page 284: On 4 and 5 October, they were carrying parties and resting at Reninghelst.
Page 288: On 24 October, the 9th relieved two battalions of the 14th Division in the front line, holding 200 yards of line on the right of the Menin road during Third Ypres, then crawling back to Blaringhem (near Hazebrouck-Nord, map I3). October was the worst month the 8th and 9th Devons ever experienced. The 9th listed 143 killed or missing and 151 wounded (page 293).
Chapter XXV, page 322: On 17 November 1917, they were resting at Le Croquet (near Saint Ghislam, Belgium) and were inspected by the King of Belgium.
Page 326: Both the 8th and 9th were transferred to Legnano, Italy. They were then moved to Giavera and later to Piave.
Page 425: The 8th and 9th were held in reserve, with the 9th going into the trenches at the end of January 1918.
Page 437: In April 1918, the 9th was billeted at Montecchio Maggiore.
Page 438: On 13 September, they were moved back to France, first to St. Riquier, then to Canchy (near Abbeville).
Page 435/6: On 8 October 1918, they were near Ponchaux. On 9 October, they were at Buitry Wood and Elincourt. On 23 October, they were fighting at Selle in Picardy. On 3 November, they were east of Bois l’Eveque. On 7 November, at Pommereuil, they fought their last fight. At the beginning of January 1919, the 9th Devons moved to Englefontaine, and on 27 January 1919, they were presented their King’s Colours. Demobilization began in January, but on 1st March 1919, 250 men of the 9th joined the 5th DCLI as part of the army of occupation.
F. Carl Roberts

Add to this record.

Pte. Sampson Edward Bastable 9th Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.4th Jan 1917)

Sampson Bastable was the son of Charles Edward and Ruth Bastable, sibling to Charles, Mary, William and Samuel. He was born 31st December 1885 in Smethwick, was educated at Old Hill Council School. He enlisted on the 5th of April 1916 and fought from the 6th August 1916. He is buried at Munich Trench Cemetery at Beaumont-Hamel.
Tony Moore

Add to this record.

Lt. Geoffrey Eugene Tracey 9th Battalion, Machine Gun Section Devonshire Regiment (d.25th September 1915)

Geoffrey Tracey was the eldest son of Dr (Henry) Eugene and (Emily) Alice Tracey. He was born 25 October 1895 in Willand. He was in France from 27th of July 1915, and was killed at Loos. His name is on a panel for the Devon Regiment at Dud Corner Cemetery near Loos in France. His name is in St Mary's Church, Willand. He was an Uncle of David Church.
Judith Mary Church

Add to this record.

Pte. George Abrahams 9th Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.30th Sep 1915)

George Abrahams served with the 9th Battalion Devonshire Regiment in WW1. He died 30th of September 1915 and is remembered on the Loos Memorial Panel.

Add to this record.

Pte Samuel Fear 9th Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.11th Nov 1915)

Samuel Fear was the husband of Elizabeth and brother of Gilbert. He lived in Gelli in the Rhondda. He was 35 years old when he died on the Western Front. He was my great uncle.
John Fear

Add to this record.

Pte. James Chambers 9th Battalion Devonshire Regiment (d.9th June 1916)

James Chambers served with 9th Devonshire Regiment, found while researching those who lived within the Posloe area of Exeter.
Alison Styles

Add to this record.

Sergeant Francis John Roberts 9th Battalion Devonshire Regiment

Francis Roberts born Plymouth Devon, May 1894 served with the 9th Devonshire Regiment 1914-1918 and the Home Guard 2nd of November 1942 to 31st December 1944 5th Btn Cornwall (St Austell).
Francis Roberts

Add to this record.

Pte. Edward Lanyon Hodge 9th Battalion Devonshire Regiment (d.10th August 1916)

Edward Hodge, known to his family as Ted was born in 1894, and was the second son of William and Beatrice Hodge, of Trevidgoe Farm in Withiel, Cornwall. He was the second youngest of his four siblings, Marjorie, William (known as Guy), Beatrice and Geoff. On the outbreak of the First World War, Ted and his younger brother, Geoff, declared that as soon as the harvest was over they would leave the family farm, and join up. They travelled to Plymouth together to do so, and in 1915 both brothers were serving in France.
Ted served with the 9th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment which was a unit of 20th Brigade. The 9th Bn. embarked at Southampton on the 27th July, and arrived at Le Havre, France on the 28th July 1915. Two months later, on September 25th, Ted was injured by shrapnel at the Battle of Loos. Information passed down through the family suggests that after obtaining this severe wound to his thigh, he was forced to crawl for over a mile before he could find help.
The official account of the 9th Devonshire Regiment for the 25th September states:
"On the right, the 20th Brigade had carried the German front trenches within half an hour of the attack starting. Its leading battalions were the 2nd Gordons (the old 92nd Highlanders) and the 8th Devons, one of the two service battalions which had taken the place of the Guards battalions formerly in the brigade. Despite the loss of most of their officers, these two units pressed on vigorously, capturing eight field guns and more prisoners; they were only checked when they reached the point where the Hulloch-Vermelles road crosses that from Lens to La Bassee. Here, well ahead of the troops on either flank, and reduced to a mere handful, they came to a standstill. In support of them came up the 6th Gordons, a Territaorial battalion from Banff and Donside, and some of the 9th Devons and 2nd Borderers. The bulk of the 9th Devons and Borderers halted at the gun positions where they dug in, linking up the emplacements into a continuous trench, hereafter known as Gun Trench."
Ted was sent back to Blighty, and to the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley (near Southampton) for treatment. His eldest brother, Guy, went to visit him, and was alarmed to find that Ted's leg was swollen to almost the size of his body. When Guy asked why doctors didn't just take the leg off, Ted bitterly replied that that they wouldn't do that if they thought they had a chance of returning him to the front. Ted returned to the family farm and was discharged from the Army on the 25th July 1916, 10 months after being wounded. He died of his wounds 16 days after his discharge, on the 10th August. He was 22 years old.
On his death certificate, Ted is listed as a former Private of the 9th Devons, and an army pensioner. His father is listed as the informant, William Hodge, Father, Present at the death, Trevidgoe, Withiel.
Ted is buried in the village cemetery near his home, beside his parent's graves. The inscription reads: In Loving Memory of Edward Lanyon, beloved son of William and Beatrice Hodge. Died 10th of August 1916 from the effect of wounds received at Loos, 25th of September 1915, aged 22 years. Perhaps because Ted had died at home, and almost a year after being wounded, he was not recognised as a war casualty by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and did not appear on any Roll of Honour, until 2008. A wreath is now laid on his grave, now officially recognised as a war grave, on Remembrance Day each year.
Ted's younger brother, Geoff, was killed in action in 1918, serving with the 9th Bn. Kings Royal Rifles Corps (see separate listing). Their eldest brother (and parent's only surviving son), Guy, had been unable to join up due to a heart condition he'd had from birth. The family farm had to give up their horses to the war effort, a sacrifice from which Guy never recovered. At the death of his two brothers, Guy was forced to give up his studies to become a veterinary surgeon, and instead had to take on the family farm, which was sold a few years later, in 1922. One of Ted's sisters, Beatrice, served as a nurse with the Red Cross during the war, and his oldest sister, Marge, lost her fiance as well as two brothers in the war she never married, and later became a schoolteacher in the local town, Bodmin. Guy was my Great Grandfather.
Sophie Hodge

Add to this record.

Cpl. Harry Saunders 9th Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.5th Oct 1917)

My Great Grandfather Harry Saunders served with the 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment.
Amanda Moger

Add to this record.

L/Cpl. Robert John Anstiss 9th Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.6th September 1916)

I know little about Robert Anstiss apart from the fact that his grandmother was my great grandmother. Robert was born in Ivybridge, Devon to Robert and Elizabeth Jane Anstiss. Robert had a younger brother Frederick who was born in 1901. Robert was killed in action at Ginchy on 6th of September 1916, aged 25. So very young.
In 2013 I visited his grave in Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval, France.
Rest in in peace Robert.
Julia

Add to this record.

Pte. William Drew 9th Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.24th Apr 1917)

William Drew was born on in 1885 to John and Ann Maria Drew (nee Hayward). He was born and lived in West Bromwich at 25 Farley Street near Great Bridge. He was a Moulder on the 1911 Census.
He was only awarded the British War and Victory Medal, not the Star so he could not have seen active service before 1916. The British War Medal is still held by the family as is his Death Plaque, the Victory Medal is, unfortunately, lost. He possibly saw conflict at Mametz on the Somme as he is buried in Croissilles Railway Cemetry. He was just 32 years old. He is commemorated on the St Peter's Church Memorial along with his brother, James who is commemorated at Thiepval and Gloucester Pier.
His parents had already lost their younger son, James at the battle of the Somme in 1916. Their other son, Joseph (Joe) served in the RFC (Royal Flying Corps) as it was then and survived.
Yvonne Richards

Add to this record.

Sgt. James Norman Williams DCM, MM 9th Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.5th Oct 1918)

James Williams volunteered at 17 and within 4 years was promoted to sergeant. He was tragically killed in action just 1 month before the armistice. He was awarded the Military Medal and the Distinguished Conduct Medal, his citation reads: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in reconnoitering for and taking part in a daylight raid in full view of enemy's lines, and by skillful bombing holding back an enemy party until his own got clear."
He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Williams, of 28, Grandidge Terrace, Rochdale and was killed in action on 5th Oct 1918, aged 21. he is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial in France.
s flynn

Add to this record.

Pte. Thomas Bickle 9th Btn. Devonshire Regiment (d.26th Oct 1917)

Information has been difficult to find as there are no official records remaining, having gone up in the Blitz in WW2. From what I can find Thomas Bickle died from his wounds in the field hospital at Lijssenthoek on the 26th October 1917 and is buried in the nearby cemetery.
During the 7th October, 9th Devons were part of 7th Division's supporting the ANZAC's attack on Broodseinde Ridge, starting on the left flank of Polygon Wood. I can only imagine that Thomas was injured at some stage of the battle and was evacuated eventually to Lijssenthoek.
He was one of 5 sons, his brother Albert was killed in Mesopotamia and is commemorated on the Tehran War Memorial as he has no known grave. My mother said that her great grandfather had both their names inscribed on his shaving mirror so that he would always be reminded of them.
Andrew Nicholson

Add to this record.

Cpl. John Wright Vincent 9th Btn. Devonshire Regiment

My grandfather was John Wright Vincent,who was born in 1889 in Clayhidon, Devon. He enlisted on the 6th of October 1914, and we believe that he was originally in the Royal 1st Yeomanry and was headquartered at Exeter. His regimental number was 45654, and on the 22nd November was transferred to the Devonshire Regiment and was posted to the 9th Devon Regiment, when crossed to France.
We do know that John was at the following battles:
1. Operations on the River Ancre, January 1917.
2. German withdrawal to the Hindenburg line, March 1917.
3. The Bullecourt ops during the Battle of Arras, May 1917.
4. The phases of the third battle of Ypres, known as the Battle of Polygon Wood, Sept 1917,
Battle of Broudseinde, Oct 1917,
The battle of Poelcappelle, 9th Oct 1917,
and the second battle of Passchendaele, 26th Oct 1917

John was hit and badly wounded during this last set of engagements, and we know that he was discharged on medical grounds on the 5th February 1918. I don't have any photos of him during his time in World War 1, but would love to know if anyone has any that they would be willing to share, and if they have any further information that might piece this story together more. He died 1st January 1960
Andrew Dowle

Add to this record.

Pte. Edward Black 9th (Service) Battalion Devonshire Regiment (d.7th May 1917)

Pte. Edward Black was born in Dublin and Enlisted in Portsmouth. He served with the 9th (Service) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment and was killed in action in May 1917.
s flynn

Add to this record.

Pte. Henry Owen 9th Btn Devonshire Regimengt (d.17th Feb 1917)

Harry Owen was with the 9th Battalion Devonshire Regt., which was raised at the Depot in Exeter from 15 Sept 1914 as part of Lord Kitchener's Second New Army ("K2"). It was part of the 20th (Light) Division at various locations in Aldershot, also Bisley, Haselmere and Bordon till April 1915. Then went overseas via Le Havre 28 July, joining the 20th Brigade, 7th Divn.at Calonne-sur-la-Lys on 8 August 1915.
The 7th Divn. were engaged at the Battle of Loos 25 Sept-8 Oct 1915. Possibly as a result of involvement in the latter end of this battle he left France with a gunshot wound to the neck on 12th October for a Scottish hospital. On recovery he was posted to the 11th Devons, a Reserve battalion which never left the UK, and was part of 10th (Res.) Brigade at Wareham. Returned to France & the 9th Battn. on the 17 Dec 1915, there were no major battles at that time. Harry seems to have fallen ill and been returned to the UK on the 2nd of May 1916 (and so missed the opening of the Battle of the Somme).
He was posted again to the 11th Btn on recovery, but shortly after applied for posting to the Tunnellers RE, effected on 10 August. After due training at Clipstone Camp, Notts. as a "Tunneller's Mate" he was sent back to France 3 October 1916 joining 254th Tunn. Coy. on 16 November 1916 and remained with them till mortally wounded by an explosion from a shell or countermine? before dying of wounds on 11th February 1917.
W Davies

Add to this record.

Pte. Edwin James Oakes 9th Devonshire (d.6th October 1917)

Edwin was born in East Stonehouse in Plymouth in 1893, one of the nine children of Isaac (Jacob) and Maria (nee Rimes) Oakes.
In the 1911 census his trade is noted as Mason Labourer, tool boy in the local dockyard and is living at home with his parents and four of his siblings in 71, George Street, East Stonehouse, Plymouth, a street he was probably born in.
We are not exactly sure when Edwin joined up, but we do know he married Hilda Hutchings in 1914 in Plymouth and they had a daughter Ellen the following year in September. All we can glean from the available military information is that Edwin joined up with the Devonshire Regiment 9th Battalion and was involved in the 3rd battle of Ypres. He was killed on the 6th of October 1917 and is remembered at the Tyne Cot Memorial.
After the war Edwin's brother Charlie named his first born son after his brother as a memorial and tribute to him. Whether Hilda married again is as yet undiscovered, but his daughter married and herself had at least one son Brian. In the photograph Edwin is to the left of his father (seated), behind him is older son Francis and to his right son Charlie.
Brian Woodward

Add to this record.

Pte. William Norrish Warren 9th Btn. (d.1st Apr 1916)

I am trying to find the resting place of William Norrish Warren, who died from wounds, received in this Country. There is a memorial stone in the Ashburton Churchyard, but not an actual grave. Would there be any more detail in the Royal Victoria Hospital records? Any information anyone can offer would be much appreciated.
Marion Coak

Add to this record.

Recomended Reading.

Available at discounted prices.

The Wartime Memories Project
- 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment during the Great War -

9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment

Want to know more about 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment?

Those known to have served with
9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Can you help?

If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project - 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment during the Great War -

9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment

Want to know more about 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment?

Those known to have served with9th Battalion, Devonshire Regimentduring the Great War 1914-1918.

Can you help?

If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment during the Great War -

Those known to have served with
9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
during the Great War 1914-1918.