No

Date Died

Surname

Forenames

Rank

Decs

Age

Cause

Country

Location/Sector

Cemetery/Memorial

Notes

1918

1

9th April

CRICK

Robert Haliburton Routledge

Capt

-

21

KIA

Palestine

Near Rafat, northwest of Jerusalem

Ramleh War Cemetery (T.34)

-

2

9th April

FARROW

Clifford Willis

2Lt

-

20

DOW

Palestine

CCS at Ramleh

Ramleh War Cemetery (T.40)

(1)

3

9th April

POWELL

Wilfred Roderick

Capt

-

20

KIA

Palestine

Near Rafat, northwest of Jerusalem

Jerusalem Memorial (Panel 29)

-

4

27th September

MIMS

Harold Dickman

Lt

-

22

KIA

France

Northwest of Cambrai

Sains-les-Marquion British Cemetery (I.A.32)

-

Notes:

1.   FARROW was wounded at Berukin, near Rafat, northwest of Jerusalem, on 9th April 1918.

On the Declaration of War on 4th August 1914 the 4th Battalion TF was based at Lower Bristol Road, Bath, part of the South Western Brigade of the Wessex Division and was moved to its war station at Plymouth.   The Battalion then moved to Durrington, on Salisbury Plain, in preparation for its move to India, and personnel who were medically fit and had signed the Imperial Service Obligation were placed in the first-line of the Battalion forming the 1/4th Battalion TF.   Those temporarily unfit personnel, and those who would later sign the Imperial Service Order were placed in the second-line of the Battalion forming the 2/4th Battalion TF at Bath, part of 2nd Wessex Division.   The 2/4th Battalion sailed for India from Southampton on 12th December 1914, arriving at Bombay on 8th January 1915.   The Battalion served in India with the Division under direct command of GHQ India.   The Wessex Division was renamed 45th (2nd Wessex) Division and the South Western Brigade re-titled as 135th (2nd South Western) Brigade.  In August 1915 the Battalion was sent to the Andaman Islands (off Thailand) for garrison duties returning to India in January 1916.   In early September 1917 the Battalion deployed to Egypt, arriving at Suez on 27th September 1917 joining the 232nd Brigade of the 75th Division at Deir el Belah on 16th October 1917.   The Division took part in many operations in Palestine and on 2nd May 1918 the Battalion was detached from the Division and ordered to join the BEF in France.   The Battalion landed in Marseilles on 1st June 1918 and joined the 34th Division as the Pioneer Battalion.    This Division was being reconstituted after suffering heavy losses during the Battle of the Lys in April 1918 and temporarily reorganised to train American troops.   The Division remained in France and Flanders for the rest of the war and after the Armistice the Division was selected to join the Army of Occupation in Germany.   At the Armistice the Battalion was stationed to the west of Courtrai and awaited the order to commence the march into Germany with the Division.   The march commenced on 17th November but was halted on 19th November with the Division in the area of Lessines, southwest of Brussels.   The march re-commenced on 12th December 1918 with the Battalion reaching Wepion, south of Namur, on the River Meuse.   It remained here until 17th January 1919, continuing with military and physical training, and educational lectures.   Demobilisation had began on 22nd December with miners and other pivotal men being returned to the UK and continued into January with teachers and students being returned.   The move to cross the Rhine commenced on 17th January by rail and was completed on 29th January, relieving the 2nd Canadian Division in the Cologne area.   All units of the Division performed Garrison and Security duties whilst military training and educational lectures continued.   On 15th March 1919 the 34th Division became the Eastern Division and all infantry units were gradually reduced to cadre with demobilisation continuing throughout March 1919.

Copyright and source:  The Long, Long Trail

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.

The Dorsetshire Regiment was formed on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, which saw the amalgamation of the 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot and the 54th (West Norfolk) Regiment of Foot.   These two units became respectively the Regular 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Regiment, with the Regimental Depot based at Depot Barracks, Dorchester.  The 1881 reforms also redesignated the Militia and Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVC) units within the Regimental District of Dorsetshire as Battalions of the Regiment  - the Dorsetshire Militia forming the 3rd (Militia) Battalion and the 1st Dorsetshire RVC forming the 1st 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 1st Volunteer Battalion formed the 4th Battalion of the Regimental Territorial Force (TF).  

 A detailed history of the Dorsetshire Regiment can be viewed here and here.