No

Date Died

Surname

Forenames

Rank

Decs

Age

Cause

Country

Location/Sector

Cemetery/Memorial

Notes

1914

1

12th October

BROWNLEE

Wilfrid Methven

2Lt

MM

24

DOI

UK

Wyke Regis, Dorset

Bristol (Arnos Vale) Cemetery (G.437)

(1)

1915

2

17th April

DELAMAIN

Henry Creswell

2Lt

-

18

A

UK

Hospital at Bournemouth

Lymington Cemetery (2670)

(2)

1916

3

9th May

MAYO

Percy Austin

2Lt

-

30

A

UK

Wyke Regis, Dorset

Radipole (St Ann) Churchyard (F.3)

(3)

1919

4

19th February

LEISHMAN

Walter Algernon

Capt

-

27

DOI

UK

Military Hospital at Oxford

Portsmouth (Highland) Road Cemetery (Oval.4.1)

(4)

Notes:

1.   BROWNLEE died of meningitis.

2.   DELAMAIN was severely injured in a motor accident at Boscombe on 16th April 1915 and died the next day at the Boscombe and West Hants Hospital.

3.   MAYO was accidentally killed during training.

4.   LEISHMAN was taken POW in late August 1914 whilst serving with 1st Battalion, and returned to UK in December 1918.   He was an "Exonerated Officer" and died of influenza/pneumonia at No 3 Southern General Hospital RAMC, Oxford.

The Battalion was formed in Dorchester in 1908 as a depot, training and draft reinforcing unit of the Regiment, part of the Haldane Reforms.   On the Declaration of War on 4th August 1914 the 3rd Battalion deployed to its mobilisation location in the Wyke Regis area of Weymouth for Home and Coastal Defence duties in the Portland Garrison.  In early 1919 the Battalion HQ moved to Portsmouth but a detachment remained at Wyke Regis.   In March 1919 the whole Battalion moved to Ebrington Barracks, Londonderry and absorbed the 4th (Reserve) Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment TF.   The Battalion was stationed here for the remainder of the war.

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 in the Regimental Territorial Force (TF).  

After the Declaration of War on 4th August 1914 and at various stages up to 1st July 1918, the Dorchester Regiment had formed, disbanded, reorganised, and reconstituted up to 14 Regular, Territorial Force, Service, Home Service, Garrison and Reserve Battalions.  

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