No

Date Died

Surname

Forenames

Rank

Decs

Age

Cause

Country

Location/Sector

Cemetery/Memorial

Notes

Died in 1915

1

2nd June

WEBBER

William Henry

Lt

-

50

DOI

UK

Littleham

Littleham (SS Margaret and Andrew) Church (R.8)

(1)

Notes:

1.   Webber was commissioned into the 4th Battalion TF on 7th October 1914, promoted to Lieutenant on  23rd December 1914 and may well have been attached to the 7th (Cyclist) Battalion.

The 3/4th Battalion TF was formed on 25th March 1915 at Exeter from elements of 4th Battalion TF who could not be posted to the 1/4th or 2/4th Battalions.   The Battalion became the depot, training and draft providing unit for these Territorial Force units, and also served in Home and Coastal Defence duties.   The Battalion was moved to Bournemouth in August 1915, and then to Hursley Park Camp, near Winchester in April 1916 becoming 4th (Reserve) Battalion TF.   The unit absorbed the 5th (Reserve) Battalion and the 6th (Reserve) Battalion on 1st September 1916.    This Battalion returned to Bournemouth in October 1916, moved to Sutton Veny in March 1917 and to Larkhill in early 1918, before moving to Ireland in April 1918.   Thereafter the Battalion was stationed at various times at Belfast, Londonderry, Clonmany and Randalstown by January 1919.

The Devonshire Regiment was formed on 1st July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, which saw the two Battalions of the 11th (North Devon) Regiment of Foot being renamed and reconstituted as the Regular 1st and 2nd Battalions of the new Regiment, with the Regimental Depot based at Topsham Barracks, Exeter.  The 1881 reforms also redesignated the Militia and Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVC) units within the Regimental District of Devon as Battalions of the new Regiment  - the East Devon Militia forming the 1st (Militia) Battalion and the South Devon Militia forming the 2nd (Militia) Battalion.   Five Volunteer Battalions of the new Regiment were formed from the county Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVC) units: 1st Devonshire (Exeter and South Devon) RVC , the 2nd Devonshire (Prince of Wales's) RVC, the 3rd Devonshire RVC, the 4th Devonshire RVC and the 5th Devonshire RVC.  In 1908, as part of the Haldane Reforms, the two Militia Battalions were amalgamated, reorganised and restructured forming the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion and the five Volunteer Battalions were reorganised and formed the 4th Battalion, 5th Battalion, 6th Battalion and 7th 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 Devonshire Regiment was made up of 30 Regular, Territorial Force, Service, Labour, Works, Garrison, Reserve and Graduated Battalions.

A detailed history of the Devonshire Regiment can also be viewed here, here and here.

The "Devonshire Regiment 1914 - 1918" (by C T Atkinson - ISBN 13: 978-184342150 ) provides a detailed account of the operations of the Battalions of the Regiment which took an active part in the Great War.