Somerset Light Infantry - Roll of Honour of Officers of the Somerset Light Infantry Who Died in the Great War Whilst Serving With 6th (Service) Battalion Somerset Light Infantry

No	Date Died	Surname	Forenames	Rank	Decs	Age	Cause	Country	Location/Sector	Cemetery/Memorial	Notes
1915
1	31st July	BRADNEY	Philip Edwin	Capt	-	35	KIA	Belgium	Ypres	Ypres Town Cemetery Extn (I.D.4)	(1)
2	25th September	PURKIS	John Nollidge	Lt	-	32	KIA	Belgium	Bellewaarde, east of Ypres	Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 21)	-
3	25th September	SKRINE	Henry Langton	Capt	-	34	KIA	Belgium	Bellewaarde, east of Ypres	Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 21)	-
4	25th September	TALBOT	Claude Eustace Chetwynd	2Lt	-	21	KIA	Belgium	Bellewaarde, east of Ypres	Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 21)	-
1916
5	12th March	HAYES	Reginald Pole	Lt	-	29	A	France	Berneville, near Agny, south of Arras	Dainville Communal Cemetery (A.1)	(2)
6	19th March	WALROND	George Basil Stuart	Capt	MiD	40	KIA	France	Near Agny, south of Arras	Agny Military Cemetery (C.4)	-
7	11th July	BIRRELL	Stuart Erskin	Capt	-	30	KIA	France	Near Blangy, northeast of Arras	Arras Memorial (Bay 4)	(3)
8	13th August	FUGE	Frederick Henry	Lt	-	25	KIA	France	Near Longueval, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 2A)	-
9	18th August	DAVY	William James	2Lt	-	29	KIA	France	Delville Wood, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 2A)	-
10	18th August	PAIN	Edward Davy	Capt	-	36	KIA	France	Delville Wood, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 2A)	-
11	19th August	DENTON	Brian Maurice	Lt	-	20	KIA	France	Delville Wood, Somme	Delville Wood Cemetery (XXI.D.6)	-
12	19th August	PULLEN	Alan Collier	2Lt	-	28	DOW	France	CCS at Heilly, Somme	Heilly Station Cemetery (III.C.16)	(4)
13	20th August	BERRIDGE	William Eric	2Lt	-	22	DOW	France	CCS at Heilly, Somme	Heilly Station Cemetery (III.C.18)	(5)
14	27th August	MUNDEN	John Arnold	2Lt	-	28	KIA	France	Delville Wood, Somme	Serre Road Cemetery No 2 (XXIII.J.14)	(6)
15	15th September	HEATH	Roger Meyrick	2Lt	-	27	KIA	France	Northeast of Delville Wood, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 2A)	-
16	16th September	HART	Frank Arthur Squire	2Lt	-	23	KIA	France	Northeast of Delville Wood, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 2A)	-
17	16th September	BECK	Theodore David Vodden	2Lt	-	22	KIA	France	Northeast of Delville Wood, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 2A)	-
18	16th September	RANDALL	Frederick Percival	2Lt	-	24	KIA	France	Northeast of Delville Wood, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 2A)	-
19	16th September	SCAMMELL	Sydney John Alfred	2Lt	-	20	KIA	France	Northeast of Delville Wood, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 2A)	-
20	16th September	WARRE-CORNISH	Gerald	Major	-	41	KIA	France	Northeast of Delville Wood, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 2A)	-
1917
21	24th March	STAIGHT	Ralph Neville	2Lt	-	26	KIA	France	Beaurains, south of Arras	Beaurains Road Cemetery (D.22)	-
22	9th April	ABECASIS	Arthur Philip	2Lt	-	28	KIA	France	Near Wancourt, southeast of Arras	Tigris Lane Cemetery, Wancourt (I.E.7)	-
23	9th April	BLACK	John Neil	Major	MiD	22	KIA	France	Near Wancourt, southeast of Arras	Tigris Lane Cemetery, Wancourt (I.E.12)	-
24	9th April	SPRINGFIELD	Arthur Lincoln	2Lt	-	25	KIA	France	Near Wancourt, southeast of Arras	Tigris Lane Cemetery, Wancourt (I.B.7)	-
25	21st August	HORNSBY	William	2Lt	-	30	KIA	Belgium	"Inverness Copse", near Hooge	Tyne Cot Memorial (Panel 41/42)	-
26	22nd August	BURGESS	Wilfrid Charles	2Lt	-	26	KIA	Belgium	"Inverness Copse", near Hooge	Hooge Crater Cemetery (IX.A.6)	(7)
27	22nd August	CHAMBERS	George Alfred	2Lt	-	24	KIA	Belgium	"Inverness Copse", near Hooge	Tyne Cot Memorial (Panel 41/42)	-
28	22nd August	SELWYN	Colin Redgrave	2Lt	-	24	KIA	Belgium	"Inverness Copse", near Hooge	Hooge Crater Cemetery (V.L.17)	(8)
29	22nd August	RINES	Edward Thomas	2Lt	-	30	KIA	Belgium	"Inverness Copse", near Hooge	Tyne Cot Memorial (Panel 41/42)	-
30	23rd August	DUDLEY	Herbert Edward	2Lt	-	21	KIA	Belgium	"Inverness Copse", near Hooge	Bedford House Cemetery (2-I.E.39)	-
31	24th August	MANSON	Gerald Patrick	Capt	MC. MiD	20	KIA	Belgium	"Inverness Copse", near Hooge	Tyne Cot Memorial (Panel 41/42)	-
32	22nd October	MADDEVER	Robert William Diggory	2Lt	-	24	KIA	Belgium	"Inverness Copse", near Hooge	Tyne Cot Memorial (Panel 41/42)	-
33	22nd October	READER	Bertram Edward	2Lt	-	26	KIA	Belgium	"Inverness Copse", near Hooge	Tyne Cot Memorial (Panel 41/42)	-
1918
34	21st March	HENSLEY	Wilfred Henry	Capt	-	23	KIA	France	Near Benay, southwest of St Quentin	Pozieres Memorial (Panel 25 and 26)	-
35	21st March	HOBHOUSE	Paul Edward	Capt	MiD	23	KIA	France	Near Benay southwest of St Quentin	Pozieres Memorial (Panel 25 and 26)	-
36	24th March	JOWERS	Joseph Frank	Lt	-	20	KIA	France	Faillouel, southwest of St Quentin	Pozieres Memorial (Panel 25 and 26)	-
37	11th September	BENHAM	Ralph George	2Lt	-	28	KIA	France	Near Auchy, east of Bethune	Sailly-Labourse Comm Cemetery Extn (N.5)	-
Notes: 1. BRADNEY was originally buried in a battlefield grave to the south east of Ypres town centre and reburied in Ypres Town Cemetery Extension in April 1919. 2. HAYES was accidentally killed. 3. BIRRELL was seriously wounded and died whilst on a reconnaissance patrol in no-man's-land near German lines. 4. PULLEN was wounded near "Beer Alley", east of Delville Wood on 18th August 1916. 5. BERRIDGE was wounded near "Beer Alley", east of Delville Wood on 18th August 1916. 6. MUNDEN was originally buried in a battlefield grave within Delville Wood and reburied in Serre Road Cemetery No 2 in February 1929. 7. BURGESS was originally buried in a battlefield grave in the area of "Stirling Castle" to the east of Ypres and reburied in Hooge Crater Cemetery in January 1919. 8. SELWYN was originally buried in a battlefield grave in the area to the west of "Inverness Copse" to the east of Ypres, and reburied in Hooge Crater Cemetery in April 1919.

Those Officers of Other Regiments Who Died in the Great War Whilst Serving With

6th (Service) Battalion Somerset Light Infantry

No	Date Died	Surname	Forenames	Rank	Decs	Age	Cause	Country	Location/Sector	Cemetery/Memorial	Notes
1	16th September 1916	DAVIS	Ralph Salway	2Lt	-	19	KIA	France	Northeast of Delville Wood, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 7B)	(1)
2	16th September 1916	HOBBS	Geoffrey Harold Chapman	2Lt	-	33	KIA	France	Northeast of Delville Wood, Somme	Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 7B)	(2)
3	4th April 1917	CHERRY	Alfred Douglas	Capt	-	28	KIA	France	Near Wancourt, southeast of Arras	Wancourt British Cemetery (IV.A.7)	(3)
4	3rd May 1917	STOCK	John Lancelot Walmsley	2Lt	-	29	DOW	France	DS near Tilloy	Tilloy British Cemetery (I.A.11)	(4)
5	22nd August 1917	BROOKE	Cyril Thomthwaite	Capt	-	26	KIA	Belgium	"Inverness Copse", near Hooge	Tyne Cot Memorial (Panel 92)	(5)
6	21st March 1918	JERWOOD	John Hugh	Maj	MC	28	KIA	France	Near Benay southwest of St Quentin	Pozieres Memorial (Panel 68/72)	(6)
7	22nd March 1918	WOOLNOUGH	Frederick Ullathorne	Capt	-	35	KIA	France	Near Benay southwest of St Quentin	Ham British Cemetery (I.E.18)	(7)
Notes: 1. DAVIS was detached from the Dorsetshire Regiment. 2. HOBBS was detached from the Dorsetshire Regiment. 3. CHERRY was detached from the Dorsetshire Regiment. 4. STOCK was detached from the Dorsetshire regiment. He was wounded near Arras on 3rd May 1917. 5. BROOKE was detached from the Dorsetshire Regiment. 6. JERWOOD was detached from the Durham Light Infantry. 7. WOOLNOUGH was detached from the Dorsetshire Regiment. He was originally buried in a battlefield grave in the area of Flamicourt to the southwest of St Quentin and reburied in Ham British Cemetery in September 1919.

Battalion History

The Battalion was formed at Taunton in August 1914 as part of "K1". Full title: 6th (Service) Battalion Somerset Light Infantry.

The Battalion assembled then soon reached its established strength at Aldershot in September 1914 and commenced individual and collective training for active service, and was placed under command of 43rd Infantry Brigade of the 14th (Light) Division (initially numbered 8th (Light) Division). Further intensive training took place at Witley Camp, Godalming, between November 1914 and February 1915 before the Battalion returned to Aldershot. The Battalion completed combat training and embarked at Folkestone for Boulogne on 21st May 1915 to join the BEF in France. The Battalion served with distinction with the 14th Division and a detailed list of Divisional operations and engagements can be found here. In June 1918 after suffering very many casualties in the German Michael Offensive in March 1918, the Battalion was returned to the UK with 16th Division for refitting, reconstitution and reinforcement. The Battalion returned to the BEF with 49th Brigade of the 16th Division on 1st August 1918 and took part in the final Advance to Victory in Artois. At the Armistice the Battalion was located at Bruyelles, near Tournai and was then marched to Bersee, near Lille. It remained here undergoing military, physical and educational training, and on 11th December 1918 the first draft of men (all miners) were retuned to the UK for demobilisation. January saw demobilisation continuing with 61 being returned to the UK on 27th January 1919 and regular drafts of men were retuned in February On 24th February 1919, 2 officers and 180 men were transferred to 11th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry who were then responsible for Garrison and Security duties in the Calais area. The cadre of the Battalion was returned to the UK in April 1919 and the unit was disbanded

Regimental History

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).

A detailed history of the Somerset Light Infantry can be viewed here and here.

Analysis of 6th Battalion SLI Officer Casualties

Year	Belgium	France	Total
1914
1915	4		4
1916		16	16
1917	9	4	13
1918		4	4
TOTALS	13	24	37

Page last updated: 4th January 2025

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