Cheshire Regiment - Roll of Honour of Officers of the Cheshire Regiment Who Died in the Great War Whilst Serving With 1/5th Battalion Cheshire Regiment TF

No	Date Died	Surname	Forenames	Rank	Decs	Age	Cause	Country	Location/Sector	Cemetery/Memorial	Notes
Died in 1915
1	9th May	WALKER	Basil Scarisbrick	2Lt	-	?	KIA	Belgium	South of Ypres	Divisional Cemetery, Dickebusch (D.10)	-
2	3rd June	DRUMMOND-FRASER	Victor Murray	2Lt	-	21	DOW	Belgium	South of Ypres	Dickebusch New Military Cemetery (E.22)	(1)
3	3rd July	DAVIES	Hugh Frederic	2Lt	MiD	23	KIA	Belgium	South of Ypres	Dickebusch New Military Cemetery (F.26)	-
4	30th August	VERNON	Charles Richard Griffin	2Lt	-	20	KIA	France	Suzanne, northeast of Bray-sur-Somme	Suzanne Communal Cemetery Extn (C.21)	-
Died in 1916
5	29th January	DAVIES	William Edward	2Lt	-	26	DOW	France	DS at 19 Fd Amb, Chipilly	Chipilly Communal Cemetery (B.1)	(2)
6	1st July	ARTHUR	George Stuart	2Lt	-	32	KIA	France	Northeast of Hebuterne, Somme	Gommecourt British Cemetery No. 2 (III.C.15)	(3)
7	1st July	BASS	Philip Burnett	Lt	-	21	KIA	France	Northeast of Hebuterne, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier/Face 3C/4A)	-
8	1st July	DAVIES	Frank Arnold	Lt	-	23	KIA	France	Northeast of Hebuterne, Somme	Gommecourt British Cemetery No. 2 (III.B.7)	(4)
9	28th September	SMITH	Wilbraham Fremantle	2Lt	-	?	DOW	France	CCS at Meault	Grove Town Cemetery, Meault	(5)
Died 1917
10	3rd April	SANDIFORD	Noel Pendlebury	2Lt	-	29	DOW	France	CCS near Saulty	Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery (V.H.9)	(6)
11	18th April	SMALLWOOD	Reginald	2Lt	-	26	KIA	France	Near Achicourt	Arras Memorial (Bay 5/6)	-
12	17th May	ARMITAGE	John Basil	Capt	-	41	KIA	France	Southeast of Arras	Tilloy British Cemetery (I.F.6)	-
13	15th August	NEWTON	Frederick	2Lt	-	?	KIA	Belgium	Near Dickebusch	The Huts Cemetery (II.D.14)	-
14	29th August	REES	Kenneth David	2Lt	-	22	DOW	France	Hospital at Calais	Calais Southern Cemetery (B.Offrs.8)	(7)
Died in 1918
15	28th March	HERON	Ernest Stewart	Capt	-	30	KIA	France	Near Feuchy, east of Arras	Roclincourt Military Cemetery (V.B.19)	-
16	28th November	EDWARDS	John Kelvin	Lt	-	32	DOI	France	CCS at Valenciennes	Valenciennes (St Roch) Communal Cemetery (I.F.6)	(8)
Notes: 1. DRUMMOND-FRASER was wounded in trenches to the south of Ypres on 3rd June 1915. 2. DAVIES W E was wounded by shrapnel near Bray on 28th January 1916. 3. ARTHUR was originally buried in a battlefield grave northeast of Hebuterne as an unidentified Second Lieutenant of the 5th Battalion Cheshire Regiment. He was reburied at Gommecourt British Cemetery No.2 in August 1920 and was later believed to be identified. 4. DAVIES F A was originally buried in a battlefield grave to the south of Gommecourt Wood and was reburied at Gommecourt British Cemetery No.2 in September 1919. 5. SMITH was wounded northwest of Combles on 21st August 1916. 6. SANDIFORD was wounded southwest of Beaurains on 3rd April 1917. 7. REES was wounded near the Menin Road, northeast of Zillebeke on 15th August 1917. 8. EDWARDS died of influenza/pneumonia.

Battalion History

The 5th (Earl of Chester's) Battalion TF was formed on 1st April 1908 as a result of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907, and was based at The Drill Hall, Volunteer Street, Chester, under command of the Cheshire Brigade, Welsh Division TF. On 3rd August 1914 the Welsh Division's infantry Brigades were at their annual camps when all training was cancelled and the Battalions were all ordered back to their HQs, and war was declared next day. The 5th Battalion TF mobilised on 5th August and began to concentrate at its war stations at Shrewsbury by 11th August. On that date units and personnel of the TF were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service and on 15th August the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve (2nd Line) units. On 31st August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line TF units where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate Battalions, Brigades and Divisions were created, mirroring those 1st Line TF formations being sent overseas. (Later in the war, 3rd Line units were formed to train and supply drafts for the 1st and 2nd Line Battalions).

Units of the Welsh Division were redeployed to Northampton at the end of August 1914, and then at Cambridge in December 1914. On 14th February 1915 the Battalion entrained at Cambridge for Southampton Docks embarking on SS "Oxonian", SS "Manchester Importer" and SS "Glenarm Head" for Le Havre arriving there in the evening of the 14th February. On 17th February the Battalion began their journey to Neuve Eglise where on the 22nd February the Battalion commenced training in trench warfare with 14th Brigade, 5th Division. On 23rd November 1915 the battalion was converted to a Pioneer Battalion remaining under command of 5th Division.

On 13th February 1916 the Battalion was transferred to 56th (London) Division as the Divisional Pioneer Battalion where it remained for the rest of the war. Details of battles and operations carried out by 56th Division can be viewed here.

Pioneer Battalion Badge

The brass “collar dog” insignia worn by men of Pioneer Battalions in the British Expeditionary Force. The design is of a crossed rifle and pick, representing the battalion's dual fighting and labouring role.

Regimental History

The Cheshire Regiment was formed on 1st July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, which saw the 2 separate Battalions of the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment of Foot re-titled to become the regular 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Regiment, with the Regimental Depot based at Chester Castle.

The 1881 reforms also added the Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVC) and Militia units within the Regimental District of the County of Cheshire to the Regimental Establishment as numbered Battalions of the Regiment. The Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVC) units were the 1st Cheshire Rifle Volunteer Corps, the 2nd (Earl of Chester's) Cheshire RVC, the 3rd Cheshire RVC, the 4th Cheshire (Cheshire and Derbyshire) RVC and the 5th Cheshire RVC. The Militia units of the Regiment were the 1st Royal Cheshire Light Infantry Militia and the 2nd Royal Cheshire Militia.

In 1908, as part of the Haldane Reforms, the Militia Battalions were reorganised and restructured forming the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion and the RVC Battalions were retitled as Battalions of the Regimental Territorial Force. The 1st Cheshire RVC became the 4th Battalion TF, the 2nd (Earl of Chester's) Cheshire RVC and the 3rd Cheshire RVC amalgamated and became the 5th (Earl of Chester's) Battalion TF, the 4th Cheshire RVC became the 6th Battalion TF and the 5th Cheshire RVC became the 7th Battalion TF.

After the Declaration of War on 4th August 1914 and up to 1st June 1918, the Cheshire Regiment had formed, disbanded or reconstituted 35 Territorial Force, Service, Garrison, Labour, Reserve, Graduated and Young Soldier Battalions.

Analysis of 1/5th Battalion Regimental Officer Casualties

Year	BE	FR	Total
1915	3	1	4
1916		5	5
1917	1	4	5
1918		2	2
TOTALS	4	12	16

Page last updated: 19th January 2026

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