No

Date Died

Surname

Forenames

Rank

Decs

Age

Cause

Country

Location/Sector

Cemetery/Memorial

Notes

1916

1

8th March

ARNOLD

Geoffrey Francis

Capt

-

24

KIA

Mespot

Dujaila Redoubt, east of Kut

Basra Memorial (Panel 12)

-

2

8th March

BAKER

Aubrey Hallowell

Capt

-

26

KIA

Mespot

Dujaila Redoubt, east of Kut

Basra Memorial (Panel 12)

-

3

8th March

LEWIS

Edgar

Capt

-

?

KIA

Mespot

Dujaila Redoubt, east of Kut

Basra Memorial (Panel 12)

-

4

8th March

LILLINGTON

Conrad Ivan

2Lt

-

23

KIA

Mespot

Dujaila Redoubt, east of Kut

Basra Memorial (Panel 12)

-

5

8th March

STALEY

Francis Colin

Lt

-

27

KIA

Mespot

Dujaila Redoubt, east of Kut

Basra Memorial (Panel 12)

(1)

1917

6

23rd July

OPENSHAW

Ernest Hyde

Lt Col

TD

49

DOI

Mespot

Nasiriyah 

Basra War Cemetery (IV.R.15)

(2)

1919

7

31st January

BAILEY

Hugh Gardner

Lt

-

37

A

India

Hyderabad

Trimulgherry Cantonment Cemetery (A.19)

(3)

8

21st April

COX

William Charles

Lt Col

MiD

58

DOI

At Sea

Red Sea

Suez Memorial Cemetery (D.78)

(4)

Notes:

1.   STALEY was previously also temporarily attached to 1st Bn Ox & Bucks LI.  This Battalion as a whole was taken prisoner at the surrender of Kut-al-Amara on 29th April 1916.

2.   OPENSHAW died of heatstroke and heart failure at Nasariyeh.

3.   BAILEY was accidentally killed at Hyderabad.

4.   COX died of syncope aboard ship in the Red Sea returning him to the UK when he fell ill.

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, Wessex Division and moved to its war station at Plymouth.   The Battalion was 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 unfit personnel, and those who would not sign the Imperial Service Order were placed in the second-line of the Battalion forming the 2/4th Battalion TF).   The 1/4th Battalion sailed for Bombay from Southampton on 9th October 1914, arriving there on 9th November 1914.   The Battalion served in India under orders of GHQ India.   The Wessex Division was renamed 43rd (Wessex) Division and the South Western Brigade re-titled as 129th (South Western) Brigade.  In January 1916 elements of the Division (including the 1/4th Battalion) was moved to Mesopotamia under command of the 37th Indian Brigade, 3rd Indian Division, part of the Indian Expeditionary Force "D" (later the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force).   In May 1916 the Battalion was posted to the 41st Indian Brigade in the Euphrates Defences, part of the Mesopotamia Lines of Communication, carrying out Garrison and Security duties mainly in the Nasiriyah area.   In March 1918 the Battalion was posted to the 56th Indian Brigade, which joined the 14th Indian Division in September 1918.   In late 1918 a detachment was sent to Tikrit for work on the Baghdad Railway.   In January mobilisation began which continued into February 1919, though a composite Company was ordered to be formed and sent to reinforce the 1/4th Battalion Devon Regiment which was part of the Army of Occupation.   Continuing in February and March 1919, all British units of the 14th Indian Division were gradually reduced to cadres and returned to the UK for demobilisation.

The Regiment was formed from the two Battalions of the 13th (1st Somersetshire) (Prince Albert's Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot as the Prince Albert's Light Infantry (Somersetshire Regiment) on 1st July 1881 under the Childers Reforms.   As the Regiment consisted of two Battalions, there was no need for it to amalgamate with another Regiment.   The reforms also provided for a Depot at Jellalabad Barracks in Taunton, and, as the county Regiment of Somersetshire, the county's Militia and Rifle Volunteer Battalions were integrated into the Regiment as numbered Battalions - 3rd Battalion (formerly 1st Somerset Light Infantry Militia), 4th Battalion (formerly 2nd Somerset Light Infantry Militia), 1st Volunteer Battalion (formerly 1st Somersetshire Rifle Volunteer Corps), 2nd Volunteer Battalion (formerly 2nd Somersetshire Rifle Volunteer Corps), 3rd Volunteer Battalion (formerly 3rd Somersetshire Rifle Volunteer Corps).  Within months of the formation, the Regiment was retitled to Prince Albert's (Somersetshire Light Infantry).  

In 1908, under the Haldane Reforms, the Militia and Volunteers were reorganised with the 3rd and 4th Militia Battalions almalgamated to form the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Volunteer Battalions reorganised into the 4th and 5th Battalions of the Regimental Territorial Force (TF).

After the Declaration of War on 4th August 1914 and at various stages up to 1st July 1918, the Regiment formed and either disbanded, reorganised or reconstituted up of 20 Regular, Territorial Force, Service, Garrison, Reserve and Home Service Battalions.