Roll of Honour of Officers of the Dorsetshire Regiment

Who Died in the Great War

After John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields" was published in 1915, the poppy became the international symbol for the remembrance of those who died in battle

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

On 4th September 1922 a Special Army Order was issued by the War Office approving the award of Battle Honours to Regiments and Corps of the British Army.   This Order also directed that Honours given would follow, in the Army List any that had previously been earned and should be headed by "The Great War" and the number of Battalions taking part.   Thus, Honours earned individually by Regular, Militia (or Special Reserve), Territorial and Service Battalions were placed on one list.

Throughout 1924 a number of Army Orders were issued giving the Honours awarded to each Regiment.   However, in the following year these lists were cancelled under Army Order 55 of February 1925, and in their place a "final list" issued.   This list contained Honours that had been approved, and directed that "no further submissions concerning the Great War Battle Honours will be made"

The sheer scale of the Great War led to a previously unheard of number of honours being awarded and it was simply impractical to emblazon every one of them on the Regimental Colour.   In September 1922 it was ordered that Regiments should select up to 10 Honours to be emblazoned on their Regimental Colours along with previous awards, up to a total of 24.   This led to a storm of protest, since many Regiments would have had to remove previous Honours.    The order was therefore amended in the following December, to allow each Infantry Regiment to select up to 10 Honours to be emblazoned on its King's/Queen's Colour, Honours from other conflicts continuing to be displayed on the Regimental Colour.   Honours in bold below are emblazoned on the King's/Queen's Colours.

The Great War Battle Honours awarded to the Dorsetshire Regiment are listed below (as published in War Office letter 20/Gen. No./5034 dated 27th February 1925, issued with Army Order 55/1925).