No

Date Died

Surname

Forenames

Rank

Decs

Age

Cause

Country

Location/Sector

Cemetery/Memorial

Notes

1916

1

8th May

HOWDEN

George Bruce

2Lt

-

19

DOI

UK

Parkhurst Military Hospital, Isle of Wight

Collaton (St Mary) Churchyard, NW of Church

(p120)  (1)

2

23rd September

BAKER

George Stanley Charles

Lt

-

21

A

UK

Freshwater, Isle of Wight

Bristol (Canford) Cemetery (C.171)

(2)

Notes:   (The numbers marked with a "p" in the Notes column refers to the page in "The History of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry", by Everard Wyrall,  where the death of the officer is mentioned or indicated).

1.   HOWDEN died of peritonitis.   He saw active service with 2nd Battalion and was severely wounded at Wieltje Farm, north east of Ypres on 23rd April 1915 and was evacuated to the UK.

2.   BAKER was killed in a training accident whilst instructing in bomb throwing.

The Battalion was formed at Bodmin in 1908, as part of the Haldane Reforms, initially as the Regimental unit providing trained reinforcements to regular Battalions and later as the depot/training/reinforcing unit for Regular and Service Battalions.   On the Declaration of War on 4th August 1914 the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion was deployed to its mobilisation location near Falmouth area for Home Defence duties in the Cornwall area.  The Battalion was moved to Freshwater, Isle of Wight, in May 1915 for Home Defence and Coastal duties in the Portsmouth Garrison and to continue as the Regimental training, depot and reserve unit for Regular and Service Battalions.  The Battalion was absorbed by 1st Battalion on 30th August 1919 and therefore ceased to exist as a separate unit.

Fatal casualties of DCLI personnel of the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion :   Officers 2 - men 33.

The DCLI was formed on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms which saw the amalgamation of the 32nd (Cornwall Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot and the 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot.   These two units became respectively the Regular 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Regiment, with the Regimental Depot based at Victoria Barracks, Bodmin. 

The 1881 reforms also redesignated the Militia and Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVC) units within the Regimental District of Cornwall as Battalions of the DCLI  - the Royal Cornwall Rangers forming the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, the 1st Cornwall Battalion RVC forming the 1st Volunteer Battalion and the 2nd Cornwall Battalion RVC forming the 2nd Volunteer Battalion. 

In 1908, as part of the Haldane Reforms, the Militia Battalion was reorganised and restructured forming the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion and the two Volunteer Battalions formed the 4th Battalion and 5th Battalion of the Regimental Territorial Force (TF).   After the Declaration of War on 4th August 1914 and at various stages up to 1st June 1918, the order of battle of the DCLI was made up of 16 Regular, Territorial Force, Service, Labour and Reserve Battalions.   The two Volunteer Battalions, raised in 1916 for Local Home and Coastal Defence duties, were later transferred to the Royal Defence Corps.

A detailed history of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry can be viewed here.