World War I
CASUALTIES ON THE
MEMORIAL Surnames S part 2
of 3
(Surnames S (part 1 of 3, Sa to
Sha) are here, Surnames S (part 3 of
3, Sq to
end) are here)
Sherren, A.
O.
Arthur Oswald
Sherren was a Captain in the 4th battalion of the Buffs (East Kent
Regiment). He was appointed adjutant to the battalion in
1915. He died on 3 August 1917, at the age of 38, and
is commemorated on the Menin Gate memorial, Ypres,
Belgium.
A member of Corinthian Lodge no 1208,
initiated on 19 March 1906, he
was born in Lambeth, Surrey and was the son of the late Frederick George,
a former Excise Officer, and Ellie Sherren (Emma Kempton
Bishop). In 1881 the family were living at 132 Lowden
Road "Milkwood Villa", and at that time Arthur was one
year old and had two elder sisters, Mary and Alice.
Arthur was also the brother of Hugh (below), who was
born in Dover the following year.
Arthur was married on 20 December 1902 at St Michael's
Church, Woods Green, Middlesex, to
Bessie Jane Paine) of 118, Folkestone Road, Dover. Then
Arthur was a civil engineer and was living at 9 Saxon Street, Dover.
There was an extensive report in the Dover Express:
It is with deep regret that we have to record the death
of Captain A O Sherren, of the Buffs, who was killed by
a shell on August 3rd. Captain A O Sherren, when the war
broke out, was in command of the Dover Company of the
4th Buffs. He was 37 years of age, and was educated at
Dover College, and afterwards became a pupil of Mr H E
Stilgoe, the Borough Engineer and Surveyor, and
afterwards he was Assistant Engineer and Surveyor of
Dover till 1906, when he was appointed Surveyor to the
Cheriton District Council.
He was one of the earliest members of the Dover Rifle
Club, and subsequently joined the Territorials, and rose
to the rank of Corporal. Offered a commission in his
Battalion, he accepted it, and before very long he
attained the rank of Captain, and was placed in command
of the Dover Company. After the war broke out he was
engaged in coast defence work, and was a Director of
Coast Defences, ranking as a major, and was at Lowestoft
during the bombardment. He went to France in April last.
An officer has written to Mrs Sherren as follows:- "It
was while in command of my Company that your husband's
portion of the line was subjected to the heaviest
shelling from the enemy. He went out to see exactly what
the situation was, when he was suddenly struck by a
piece of shell. His death was instantaneous and in
consequence there was no pain. We buried him as best we
could where he fell. Your husband was one of the most
popular and dearest officers in the Battalion. No one
had anything but the very best opinion of him."
The greatest sympathy will be extended to Mrs Sherren
and her three children who are left. Mrs Sherren was a
daughter of the late Captain Payn, formerly Commandant
of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway Marine Service.
Previous to the war Captain Sherren, by being frequently
attached to Regular Battalions at Shorncliffe, had made
himself a very efficient soldier, and he was also a fine
rifle shot, and a very good revolver shot, and on more
than one occasion won the Battalion championship.
At the Cheriton Urban District Council meeting last
week, the Chairman alluded to the deeply regretted news
of the death in action, on August 3td, of Captain A O
Sherren, the Surveyor and Sanitary Inspector to the
Council. He remarked that Captain Sherren had held that
office under the Council since 1906, and during the
whole period of his employment up to the outbreak of
war, had filled his position with an efficiency which
left nothing to be desired; and the work which he
performed, no matter how arduous, was always carried out
willingly and conscientiously, and to the entire
satisfaction, not only of the Council, but of the
general public. The speaker added that, personally, he
entertained for Captain Sherren feelings of admiration
and personal regard, and on hearing the news, he felt
that he had lost a personal friend, as well as the
Council being deprived of the services of a valuable
official. He moved that a letter be sent expressing the
heartfelt sympathy of the members of the Council with
Mrs Sherren, and members of the deceased officer's
family. Mr Foster, Mr Quested, and Mr G J Taylor, also,
in paying warm tributes to Captain Sherren, voiced the
esteem and regard in which he was universally held; and
the motion, which was seconded by Councillor Kindness,
was carried unanimously in silence.
|
Sherren, H.
G.
Hugh Godwin Sherren died of typhus on 28 February
1920, when he was 37. He was a Major, mentioned in
dispatches, in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He is
buried at Haidar Pasha Cemetery, Turkey.
He was born in Dover but his mother later moved to 31
Grange Road, Ramsgate, and his address at death was 14
St Mildreds Road, Ramsgate. He was brother to Arthur, above.
In 1901 he was a medical student and was with Isaac and
Henrietta Jones at 76 London Road, Dover. Henrietta, née
Bishop, was his mother's sister. |
Shillito,
W. H.
William
Harry Shillito, G/9735, is commemorated on the Arras
memorial in France. He was a Lance Corporal in the 6th battalion
of The Buffs (East
Kent Regiment) and he was 20 years and 9 months when he
died in action on 11 July 1917.
Born, enlisting, and living in Dover, he
was the son of Mr David Henry, a carpenter and joiner, and Mrs
Ada Shillito of 26 Balfour
Road, Dover, formerly 55 Astley Avenue, Dover, and in
1911 of Dodds House, Dodds Lane, Dover. At that time
William's sister Florence Agness had also been at home,
and William had been an apprentice to French polishing
at the Connaught Coach Building works.
 |
Released
from strife, from sin, and pain,
And free from every care,
By angels' hands to heaven conveyed,
To rest for ever there.
We had to part; but oh! the pain
It caused us to endure;
But God thought best that he should rest
In heaven for evermore.
From his sorrowing Father, Mother, and Sister |
|
Shingleton,
A. R.
Arthur Robert Shingleton, 1624, enlisted and
lived in Dover. He was a Driver in the Royal Field
Artillery, 3rd Home Counties Brigade. He died on 12
February 1916, and is buried in the south part of the
Riverhead (St Mary) Churchyard, Kent.
1925 - In ever loving memory of my dear son - from
his loving Mother, Sisters, and Brothers. RIP |
Shott, H. H.
Henry Hammond Shott was born on 13 October 1877 at
Dover. He was a Captain in the Princess Charlotte of
Wales' Royal Berkshire Regiment, 1st battalion, and
received a DSO. He gained his Royal Aero Club Aviator
Certificate, no 530 with a Bristol Biplane on 30th June
1913 at the Bristol School, Brooklands.
He was 38 when he was killed in action on 26 August 1914.
He is buried at Maroilles Communal Cemetery, France,
grave ref not known
He was the son of Nils Shott, from Dover, and the
husband of Hazel Morris Shott of 245 North Broadway,
Yonkers, New York |
Sidders,
H. F.
Harry Frederick Sidders, 50194, was a Driver in the 56th
battery of the Royal Field Artillery. He died on 28
July 1919 in India when he was 34, and is commemorated
on the Kirkee 1914-1918 Memorial, India.
Born in Deal, he was the brother of John (below), and the son of Henry Sidders and his wife Hannah Mary (nee Hodges), who
married in 1882 in the Eastry area, near Dover. They lived at 10
Edgar Road, and in 1911 at 76 Balfour Road. Harry
Sidders was then working as a warehouseman in a
wholesale grocer's. |
Sidders,
J. J.
John James Sidders, 45496, was a Private in the A
section, 37th Field Ambulance of the Royal Army Medical
Corps. He was a winner of the Military Medal and
mentioned in dispatches for his work during heavy
fighting. He was killed in action on 4 October 1916,
when he was 23, and he is buried at Dartmoor Cemetery,
Bercordel-Bercourt, France.
He was the brother of Harry, above, born at Hougham, but
enlisting in Margate. In 1911 he was working as a shop
assistant in a boot dealer. He had at least one sister,
Edith, born in Dover. |
Siffleet, A.
L.
Alfred Lionel Siffleet, 205169, was a Serjeant in the
Royal Tank Corps, 12th battalion (formerly 1720 REK, MR). He was 26 when he died
on 2 September 1918, and is buried in the Mory Abbey
Military Cemetery, France. He had also served at
Gallipoli.
He was the husband of Florence Alice Siffleet, who lived
at 12 St George's Road, Eastbourne, and he enlisted at
Broad Oak, Sussex. He was
the son of Mrs Goodwin, formerly Haslam, formerly Siffleet, and the late
Alfred Lionel Siffleet, who had died at the age of 43 in
1903. Alfred Siffleet senior was born in Chatham, Kent,
and he was a Lance Corporal in the infantry. The
couple's
children had been born in various countries: Edward and
Alfred in Malta, Charles and George in Bermuda, Mary in
Barbados, and Stephen in the Isle of Wight. Mary, his
wife, came from Warwick.
In 1911 Alfred was living at 3 Hawkesbury Court with his
mother, Mrs Haslam, his sister Sarah and his half-sister
Alice, both born in Dover. He was then working as a
butcher's assistant.
Alfred is also named on the memorial at Eythorne, near
Dover |
Simmonds, G.
H.
George Henry Simmonds, M2/103476, was a Private in in the Army
Service Corps, attached to the GHQ Signal Company of the
Royal Engineers. He was 32 when he died on 31 October
1918, and is buried at Staglieno Cemetery, Italy.
Born in Loudwater, Buckinghamshire, he enlisted and
lived in Dover.
He was the husband of Daisy L. Simmonds, née Brockman, of 21 Buckland
Avenue, Dover, whom he had married in 1912. He was brother-in-law to
John J B
Thompson. |
Simmons, C.
D.
Charles Douglas Simmons was a Lieutenant Commander in
the Royal Naval Reserve. He served aboard the HMS "Otranto"
and gained a DSO. He died when he was 37 on 6 October
1918, when his vessel was lost in a collision off the
Isle of Islay. He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval
Memorial in the United Kingdom.
He was the son of Charles and Mary Simmons of Dover, who
in 1891 were living at 16 Maison Dieu Road, where Mr
Simmons was working as a wholesale grocer provision
merchant. He had a younger brother, John, like him born
in Dover. By 1901 Charles was a midshipman in the Naval
Reserve. He gained his 2nd Mate's ticket on 10 January
1902, and in 1911 he is recorded as a 2nd Officer
Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve, aboard the Minesawa at Tilbury Docks. He
was
the husband of Marjorie Simmons, who lived at 17 Worbeck
Road, Anerley, London. |
Simmons, H.
Harold Simmons was born in Dover in 1884, the son of
Sylvia Ann née Vincer and George John Simmons, who
married in 1873.
George Simmons was born in Dover, and in 1881 was a
coachworker. The family were then living at Ivy
Cottages, Chapel Street, Felton Chertsey, when there
were four children - Frederick, aged 6, born Grantham,
Louisa, aged 4, born Croydon, and two born in
Southampton - Arthur, aged 2, and Ernest, aged 1.
George died Dover in 1889, and in 1891 Mrs Simmons was
living at 7 Worthington Lane, Dover, and working as a
charwoman. With her were Arthur, Ernest, and Harold,
then aged 7. Mrs Simmons remarried on 27 July 1891 to Edward
Henry Comper, a school instructor, and in 1901 Harold, then a clerk in the
ships' stores, was living with them at 18 Castlemount
Road. Doris Crockett, aged 1 and born in Scotland, was
there too; she was Harold's niece, the daughter of
Louisa, who had married George Davidson Crockett in
Dover in 1898.
Harold joined on a short service as no 5191 in the Army
Ordnance Corps at Woolwich on 6 October 1902, having
been considered fit for service on 4 October at Dover
Castle. He had previously been considered unfit
owing to his chest measurement being under requirement.
He was transferred to the Army Reserve on 27 December
1905 and saw service in Bermuda from 20 November 1906.
He returned home on 27 January 1910, and at the 1911
census was living at 22 Royal Military Avenue, Cheriton, working as a storeman
for the Army Ordnance Department. He was eventually
struck off from the Reserve after failing to render a
life certificate on two consecutive occasions in
December 1911 and March 1912.
Harold's mother and stepfather remained in Dover, living
at the Dover Institute in Biggin Street, where Mr Comper
was a steward. Mrs Comper died in Dover in 1926, aged
83(?). Mr Comper in 1927 at the age of 73.
with thanks to
Joyce Banks for this identification
Harold's
stepfather may have been the father of
Ernest Comper |
Simmons, J.
H.
John H. T. Simmons was a time-serving Bandsman from the
Northumberland Fusiliers,
He was 32 (34?) when he died on
20
June 1920, from wounds caused by gas.
He was buried on
23 June at Charlton
Cemetery in Dover, 3H 31,
with
military honours, and with the Last Post being sounded
by the band of the Connaught Rangers. Amongst the
mourners,
with his wife
and his father-in-law, Mr Hart, were members of the
Dover Branch of the National Federation of Discharged
and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers
He was the son of Mrs F Kenworthy and the husband of Mrs F. Simmons of 183
Clarendon Street, Dover, where he died. She later became Mrs Bennett.
She stated that her husband "never got over" being gassed during
the war, though he had served all through.
At the bottom of his gravestone are the words:
He died for us |
Simpson, D.
P. T.
Douglas Percy Thomas Simpson, G/23516, was a Private in the 10th
battalion of The Buffs. He died in action on 13 August 1918 at
the age of 43. He is buried at Pont-Du-Hem Military
Cemetery, La Gorgue in France.
Born, enlisted, and living in Dover, he was the husband of Emily Simpson, of 118 Clarendon
Street, Dover. In 1911 he was working as a warehouseman
in a grocery, and the couple had three children; George,
Ethel, and Mabel, all born in Dover. |
Skiggs, V.
J.
Victor John Skiggs, 64042,
was 21 when he died in action on 12 July 1918. He is buried in
the British Extension of the Bully-Grenay Communal
Cemetery, France. He
was a Private in the 1st battalion of the Royal
Fusiliers (formerly 201635 The Buffs), and was born in Sandon
(or Broadwater, according to 1911 census),
Hertfordshire, but enlisted and lived in Dover
He was the son of Mr
Edward Charles and Mrs Ruth Skiggs,
of 88 Union Road, Dover. In 1911 the family were living
at 108 Union Road, where Victor was a baker's boy, and
his father was working as a general labourer in the Gas
Works. He had three siblings, Francis, Kathleen, and
Hilda, who was born in Buckland, Dover.
"In daily sacred memory of Victor John, who made the
supreme sacrifice" From Mother, Brother and Sisters.
Mr Skiggs died in 1938, aged 63. |
Smart, G. H.
George Henry Smart was a Captain in the 4th battalion of
the West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own),
attached to the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He was
killed on 22 December 1914, and is commemorated on Le
Touret Memorial, panel 9 and 10.
He was an Old Dovorian (old boy of Dover College), and
in 1901 he was at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
By 1911 he was a Captain in the Special Reserve and in
receipt of retired pay after eight years service in the
regular army. He had been born in Bombay. |
*Smith,
A.
Arthur Philip Smith, 308719, lived at 87 Snargate Street, Dover,
in which town he was born on 19 June 1886. He was the
son of John Taylor Smith and his wife Mary.
In 1891 the family were living at 5 St John's Place,
Snargate Street, and Mr Smith was working as a corn
merchants' labourer. There were then six children,
Selina, 11, John, 9, Charlotte, 7, Arthur, 5, Thomas, 3,
and Ellen, six months. Ten years later there were
another three children, William, then aged 8, Mary, 6,
and George, 4. Selina was working as a general domestic
servant and John was a corn miller labourer like his
father. All the family were born in Dover.
Arthur had already begun his career in 1901, working as
a boiler cleaner. He became a 1st class Stoker Petty Officer, and was lost with
the "Aboukir" on 22 September 1914. He
is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial in the
United Kingdom. His father was notified of his death at
71 Snargate Street. |
*Smith, C.
Charles Smith, 18411, enlisted and lived in
Dover, and served as a Private in the Royal Fusiliers,
25th battalion. He died in action on 18 October 1917,
and is buried in the Dar Es Salaam War Cemetery,
Tanzania. |
Smith, C.
Charles Smith, served in the West Riding Regiment |
Smith, F. W.
Frederick W. Smith |
 Smith, G.
A.
George Arthur
Smith, 37105, was a Serjeant in the Royal Garrison
Artillery, 346th battery. He enlisted at Hamilton,
Lanark. He died of wounds on 19 April 1918, and is
buried at Étaples military cemetery in France, XXIX G 5A.
He was a winner of the Military Medal, gazetted on 29
August 1918, p10135.
The
words at the bottom of his headstone read:
He died for us
May he rest in peace
Born in Prospect, Bermuda, George was the son of George
Francis Smith and Louisa Beatty Smith, née Clarke of 295 Folkestone
Road, Dover. Mr Smith, born 6 October 1870, had
been a drapers' assistant before joining up at
Warrington on 1 March 1889; he was then described as
having grey eyes and dark brown hair, with a sallow
complexion.
On
31 August 1895 at St John, Pembroke, Bermuda, he married
Miss Clarke, thereafter completing 7 years of service in
Bermuda, between 10 February 1891 and 10 March 1898. On
22 October 1898 he was re-engaged at Dover for the Army
Pay Corps, in order to complete 21 years service,
becoming a Staff Quartermaster Sergeant. He eventually
left the service after nearly 29 years, having gained
during his career a Long Service and a Good Conduct
medal.
George Arthur Smith had several
brothers and sisters, including Bernard Francis, born on
Christmas Day 1897, and Doris Muriel, born on New Year's
Day 1910, who married Clifford Richdale on 4 August 1934
at St Paul's RC Church, Dover. Madeleine M married
Stanley Byrne in 1931, while a third sister became Mrs A Vanhoeck.
Bernard in 1941 was working as a taxi-driver in Dover.
Mr Smith died on 18 April 1943 at his
home at 295 Folkestone Road. He was buried at St James,
after a mass at St Paul's RC church, his coffin having
been left there overnight. Mrs Smith died in 1953.
photo with thanks to
Madeleine Masterson |
Smith, J. W.
John William Smith,
probably PW/6529, a Private in the Duke of Cambridge's
Own (Middlesex Regiment),
from the 21st battalion. He was born in Sandhurst, the
son of James, a labourer, and Harriet Smith.
On 7 November 1901, at St Bartholomew's, Charlton,
Dover, he married Mary Jane Battley. She was the
daughter of mariner Robert John Battley, and living at
10 Alexandra Cottages, Tower Street. John Smith was also
living in Tower Street, at number 19, and was then
working as a carter.
In 1911 the couple were living at 66 Tower Hill, Tower
Hamlets, and with them were three sons, John, 8, Albert,
7, and Henry, 5. They would be joined by Ernest, born
1913, and Robert, born 1915. John Smith was then working
as a bricklayer's labourer.
He
is said to have been working for Flashman's in Dover
before enlisting in Canterbury. He died
on 8 or 9 April 1917, and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial
in France, pier and face 12D and 13B
In 1918 Mrs Battley inserted an In Memoriam, "In ever
loving memory of my dear husband, Private J. W. Smith,
Middlesex Regiment, who was killed in action on April 8th
1917.
A loving husband, always kind,
Loved by those left behind,
No friend like him earth I find.
Never forgotten by his Wife and Children." |
 Smith, T. J.
Thomas Joseph Smith, GS/371, was a Private in the 2nd
battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment and part of the
BEF. He was 26 when
he was killed in action at Richbourg, L'Avoue, on 9 May 1915.
His death was confirmed four months after he had been
reported missing, and he is commemorated on Le Touret
memorial, France.
He was the fourth son of Peter and Susannah Smith, from 10 Woolcomber Lane, Dover,
born and enlisted in Dover.
In 1891 the family was living at 8 Queen's Court,
and in 1901 at number 7 Queen's Court, Dover. The
ancestral family had originated in Ireland (Roscommon/Longford)and
moved to Barnsley and Doncaster before coming to Dover.
Before
Thomas enlisted he had worked on the erection of the
Marine Station (now the Cruise Terminal). He was
considered by those who knew him as "a fine young
fellow".

|
No mother's care did him
attend,
Nor o'er him did a father bend;
No sister by to shed a tear,
No brother by his words to hear.
Sick, dying in a foreign land, No father by
to take his hand:
No mother near to close his eyes, Far from
his native land he lies.
|
One
of Thomas's brothers was Edward Matthew Smith, and he
owned a confectioner's shop at 45 Woolcomber Lane.
During the second World War, Edward (left, wearing
glasses) was an observer in a bunker at East Cliff,
Dover.
Their father, Peter, was an army veteran, stationed in
1871 at Cheriton, Folkestone. He later came to the Grand
Shaft Barracks, Dover. He and his wife Susannah, nee Parks, are
buried in St James, Dover.
Their gravestone reads:
 |
In Loving Memory of Peter Smith passed away 8th Nov 1921 aged 66 years
also of his Beloved Wife Susannah Who Departed This Life 10 March 1940, Aged 88 years "At Rest"
|
"These Men Shall
Not be Forgotten"
with thanks to Lorraine Amos |
Smith, W. T.
William Thomas Smith, L/9391, was the son of William Smith and Sarah
Jane nee Keigwin. Born on 15th November 1893 at Abbey Street, Faversham,
Kent, he had a twin sister, May Elizabeth Smith, and was the youngest of
eleven children. In 1901 the family were living at 34 Lower Brents,
Faversham.
William lived in Dover, and in the Great War he enlisted in Canterbury
to become a Private in the 2nd battalion of The
Buffs (East Kent Regiment). He died when he was 22 on 3 May 1915, and
is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.
His mother, who, with her brothers and sisters, had been born at the
Dover Workhouse, Union Road, had died in 1905, and his next of kin was
given as his sister, Mrs Eliza Ann Page, from 39 Marine Parade, Dover.
"Remembered with Gratitude and Honour. To be Never Forgotten. You did so
much for our Freedom".
with thanks to Lorraine Amos |
Smith, W. T.
William Trayton Smith, L/8019, was a Serjeant in the 6th
battalion of The Buffs. He had seen ten years service
with the Buffs in India before being sent to France.
There he died in action on 13 October 1915
when he was 27. He is commemorated on the Loos Memorial
in France.
Born and enlisted in Dover, he was the son of Aaron Smith, of 58, Odo Road., Dover,
and lived at Tower Hamlets. He was the brother of J J Smith, of 20 Charlton Avenue,
Dover.

William is in the centre of the picture. On his left is
his brother Lance Corporal J Smith, who was invalided
home with frozen feet. He took part in the first battle
of Ypres. On the right is their brother Sapper S. Smith,
who served in the Royal Engineers from the beginning of
the war. |
 Snelling, A.
H.
Albert Henry Snelling,
125179, was a Gunner in D battery of the 122nd Brigade
of the Royal Field Artillery. He died of wounds on 29
April 1918. He is buried at Esquelbecq Military
Cemetery, France.
Enlisted at Woolwich and
living in Dover, he
was the son
of Mr and Mrs A. E. Snelling, of 1 West Mount, Priory
Hill, Dover.
with thanks to Mike Diston |
Sole,
E. W.
Edward William Sole, 8742,
enlisted in Canterbury and was a Pioneer Sergeant in the 1st battalion of the
Lincolnshire Regiment. In 1911 he was in the 2nd
Battalion at Victoria Barracks, Portsmouth, working as a
carriage smith.
He died in action on 20 October 1914, at
the age of 24. He is commemorated on Le Touret Memorial,
France.
Born and living in Dover, he was the nephew of Harry
Sole, below, the son of Harry's brother Edward W. Sole.
His wife was Harriet S Culley (formerly Sole) of
16 George Street, Dover, who had two children when her
husband was killed. His brother, William, below, also
died. |
*Sole,
F. H. (H. F.?)
Harry Sole,
9846, was born in Dover and enlisted as a Private in the East Surrey Regiment, 3rd
battalion. He was well-known in Dover, being a veteran
soldier later employed by W Smith and Co, and for two or
three years before at Messrs Palmer.
In his army career
he had served in the Matabeleland Campaign of 1896, in Mashonaland in 1897, through the South Africa war, and
in the Zulu rebellion of 1906. In the Great War he was
called up as a Reservist, being the first in Dover to apply for a
railway ticket, and saw
action at Mons, Aisne, Marne, and La Basse. He was
wounded on 14th October 1914 (which was believed by the family to be the
same day that his nephew Edward Sole
was killed).
He
was invalided out of the army on 9 July 1915, and died
on 20 May
1916 from injuries following an air raid on
Dover, when a bomb struck near the Grand Shaft Barracks. He was buried at St James cemetery, Dover in the
United Kingdom.
 |
Oh how swift has been the parting,
Oh how keen has been the pain,
Yet I know that some day, somewhere,
He and I will meet again.
No one knows how much I love him,
How I'll miss him more and more;
Yet I know that he'll be waiting
For me on the other shore.from his sorrowing
little Em |

The funeral was
conducted by the Rev A W Dawes with full military honours, with the band of the East Surreys attending and
the same regiment supplying the firing party. There were
many mourners, including from his family his mother, his fiancée Miss Emily Smith, his married sisters Mrs
Collard and Mrs Maynard, with Mr Maynard, his nephews
David and Harry Sole, his nieces Anne, Nellie, and Maisie Sole, his brother, Sergeant E. W. Sole, of the Buffs, and his cousin Mr Dunk. There were also many
flowers, from his family and his comrades, including
those from his cousin Ellen Fielding, his step-brothers,
three tributes from the army, and his friends at the
"Lord Nelson".
The gravestone reads:
In Loving Memory
of
Private H. S. Sole
3rd East Surrey Regiment
who died May 20th 1916
aged 34 years |
Also of Pnr Sergeant E W Sole
1st Lincoln Regiment
who was killed at Laventie, Flanders
October 20th 1914, aged 24 |
Also of Private W. H. Sole
6th Buffs
who was killed in France
May 3rd 1917
aged 20 years
Nephews of the Above |
His
brother, Sergeant E. W. Sole, father of Edward, had been for many years a member of the
Territorial Buffs, and then served in the Kent
detachment of the 2/4th Buffs. He was an acting drill
instructor, and lived at 29 Chapel Place. Another
brother, Corporal W. J. Sole, served in South Africa in
the Pretoria Regiment, E Company, fighting through the
German South Africa campaign.
 |
A view of St James cemetery. In the
centre is Private Sole's gravestone, amidst rows of CWGC
headstones.
In the distance, beneath the cross,
can be seen the graves of the raid on Zeebrugge, 23 April
1918. |
Note: Private Sole's name is in doubt
because his gravestone gives an initial letter of "S" for his second
given name, while the CWGC records him merely as "H. F. Sole",
though gives the grave reference of the grave pictured, and a
contemporary report suggests the name of this casualty is "Frederick
H. Sole". The birth index gives "Henry Frederick Sole" born in Dover
in 1882, as does the newspaper announcment.
|
 Sole,
W. H. D.
William Henry
David Sole, G/13610, enlisted in Canterbury and served as a Private in the 6th
battalion of The Buffs. He died in action on 3 May 1917
in the third battle of the Somme at the
age of 20. He is commemorated on the Arras memorial in
France.
Born and living in Dover, he
was the son of Edward William and Sarah Ann Sole, of 57 Longfield Road, Dover, who had formerly lived at 29
Chapel Place. He was the brother of Edward, above, and
they were both nephews of Harry Sole, above.

The
picture above left we believe was taken in 1915. Left is
the reverse of the frame. It notes Private Sole as being
number 4264 of 2/4 battalion The Buffs, and beneath are
the words "To Harry 1917" Also on the reverse are the
words "killed in action May 3 1917, somewhere in France"
and a further note "Cherisey, left of Arras"
(Note: This is Chérisy, south east of Arras.)
Below is a
cutting of an "In Memoriam" announcement frm the
newspaper, in memory of both William and his Uncle Harry
Sole.
pictures on left and death plaque by kind courtesy of
Peter Silk
|
Solley, E.
W.
Ernest William Solley, Railway Operating Division. He
was born in Dover on 20 February 1889, the son of John Solley and
his wife Catherine Sarah Gasson, née Terry, who
had married at St Andrew's on 13 November 1886. Ernest
was christened at the same church on 14 April 1889, when
the family were living at 280 London Road. He was the second child
and had an elder sister, Ellen Elizabeth, born in 1888.
Other children were Benjamin George, born in 1890,
Francis John, born in 1895, and Florence May, born in
1897.
Mr Solley was a tailor, and in 1891 the family were
living at 17 Oxford Cottages, Buckland. In 1901 and 1911
they were at 2 Magdala Road. On 22
November 1924 Mr Solley wrote from Rose Cottage, St Radigund's Road,
requesting that his son should be included on the 1934
panel on the Town War Memorial. He would not see the
panel himself, as he died in 1929; Mrs Solley, who was
living at 9 Salisbury Road when her husband's will was
proved, however did and saw also the outbreak of World
War II, as she died in 1942.
Benjamin Solley served in the Great War in the RAMC. He
was demobbed on 1 July 1919, and also became a tailor.
He was married in 1917 to Dorothy Walton, whose address
as his next-of-kin was given as 4 Union Road. |
Southen, W.
R.
William Richard Southen, M/5222, was born in Folkestone
on 31 January 1892, the son of William Richard, a
plasterer, and Margaret Southen. There were at least
eight children in the family; William was the third and
the first son. In 1901 the family were living at 7
Barton View, Dover, and in 1911 at 94 Oswald Road,
Dover. Then, living at home, were Lily, Margaret or
Louisa, Maudie, Elsie, Ernest, Winifred, and Florence,
as well as William who by then was working in a bakery.
In 1915 William married Ada Hayward, the daughter of Mr
and Mrs Hayward of Alfred Square, Deal. He continued
working as a baker in Deal before joining the Royal
Navy. He was serving as a Cook's Mate in
the Royal Navy, HMTB "No 11" when the vessel
was mined and sunk with the loss of 24 men 7 March 1916.
He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial in the
United Kingdom.
with thanks to Judith Gaunt
image from Roll of Honour published T F Pain, East Kent
Mercury, |
Spain,
A.
Alfred Spain,
198647, had been an Able Seaman in the Royal Navy,
serving aboard the HMS Mars. He became a Gun-layer in
the reserve, and worked for Mr Morgan, a builder of
Dover. He died on 25 August 1914, aged 30, as the result of an
accident during gun practice.
His
body was brought home after it was landed at Grimsby,
and he was laid to rest on a Saturday afternoon at SS
Peter and Paul, River, Dover. There were many
mourners at the ceremony presided over by D A Townend,
which began at the church with the hymn "Rock of Ages"
and continued with the dead march from "Saul", played on
the organ by Rev Townend. Four of his workmates,
Messrs Parker, Todd, Wood, and Hilton carried his
coffin, followed by three other comrades, Messrs Lewes,
Vallentine, and Lawrence. The coffin bore the inscription
"Alfred Spain, died August 1914, aged 33 years"
Mr
and Mrs R Spain, his parents, who lived at the Royal Oak
cottage, River, Mr G. Spain, his brother,
with his wife, and Mrs Sayers, who lived at 45
Winchelsea Street, Dover, and Mrs Leeming, his
sisters, with their husbands, were also present. The
notes attached to the wreaths revealed that he was well
respected and loved:
"In
loving remembrance of dear Alfred, from his sorrowing
Mum and Dad"
"To Alfred, with love from little Gwen"
"In loving memory of an old chum and shipmate, from Mr
and Mrs C Terry"
"With the sympathy and love of his sorrowing messmates,
Mess No 2"
"From the ship's company with deepest sympathy"
"A
token of respect and sympathy from Mr G Grounsell"
"With
Mr Charles Copus' deepest sympathy and regret"
"With
deepest sympathy and sincerest regret, from his comrades
working at "Woodlands", and in loving remembrance of a
kind-hearted and loving friend" |
Spain, E. S.
S.
Edward Sidney
Stephen Spain, 235099, was a Leading Seaman in the Royal
Navy, lost in the submarine attack on
HMS
"Pathfinder" at the Firth of Forth on 5
September 1914. He was 25. He is commemorated on the
Chatham Naval Memorial in the United Kingdom.
He was the son of Mr and Mrs Edward George Spain, of 63 Mayfield Avenue,
Buckland, Dover. |
Spain, T. E.
Thomas Edward Spain,
151075, was a Sapper in the Inland Water Transport of
the Royal Engineers. He died from accidental injuries on
31 October 1916 at the age of 30. He is buried at the Aire Communal Cemetery, in France.
Born and
enlisted in Dover, he was
the son of Thomas Jarvis and Hannah Jane Spain from
Dover, husband of Lizzie Spain of Limekiln Street, Dover
|
Spendiff, W.
G.
William George
Spendiff, 203998, was in the 6th battalion of the
Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). He died in
action on 24
August 1918, aged 37, and is buried at Meaulte Military
Cemetery, France. His brother Walter, below, had died
the year before.
Born in Deal, William
was the eldest son of George Richard William Spendiff,
son of Sarah, and his wife Emma Jane,
née Johncock, born 27 December 1859, who had married in 1877.
In 1891 they were at 4 York Place, Dover, with Mr
Spendiff working as a bricklayer's labourer. There then
were Winnie May, 1878, in Newnham, William George, 1881,
and in Dover, Robert John, 1883, Rosa Jane, 1885, and
Walter Sydney Gauntlett, born 21 April 1889.
In 1901 the family were at 1 Douglas Road with Mr
Spendiff working as a plasterer and Mrs Spendiff away,
in the home of the Brett family at 44 Limekiln Street,
where she was a monthly nurse. Florence Esther Blanche
had joined the family on 20 July 1891, by which time the
family were at 4 Mangers Place and Mr Spendiff was a
gardener, with Olive Annie Matilda born on 26
April 1894, and George Stanley in 1898, who died the
same year. William had become a blacksmith.
Living with the family in
1901 was Rhoda Edith Relf, born in Chelsfield, Bromley,
who was a domestic servant. She married William on 1
January 1905 at St Bartholomew's, Charlton, and by
1911 the couple had two daughters, Edith, born in Dover,
and Rose, born in Hornsey, Middlesex. They were then
living at 10 Salisbury Road, Noel Park, Wood Green,
Middlesex, with William working as a cellarman for a
Railway Company Refreshment Department. Also there was
William's mother-in-law, Sophia Relf.
Meanwhile, in 1911, Mr Spendiff, a general labourer, was
at 87 South Road, with Walter, then a blacksmith's
hammerman. His daughter Winnie, her husband, a
blacksmith, and her son were also there. Mrs Spendiff
was visiting the family of Robert Johncock in
Sittingbourne.
*
Mr
George Spendiff died on 11 January 1936 at 87 South Road
and was buried at Charlton, in the grave of his
mother-in-law, Esther Johncock, who died in 1917 aged
84. The first part of the burial service was held at the
Salvation Army Citadel. Mrs Emma Spendiff died on 28
February 1947 at 4 Douglas Road.
William
and Walter Spendiff were brothers-in-law of
John Martin, who married
their sister Florence. |
 Spendiff, W.
S. G.
Walter Sidney
Gauntlett Spendiff, 3316, was in the 43rd battalion of
the Australian Infantry, serving as a Private.
Born in
Dover, the brother of William, above, he was an old boy
of St Bartholomew's School. He had brown eyes and dark
brown hair. Aged 24 when he arrived in Australia, and
working as a labourer, he was 5 feet 6 inches tall
when he enlisted in Adelaide on 29 March 1916, at the
age of 26 years and 11 months. He stated he was a
Methodist. He left for the Western Front aboard the Malakuta on
27 June 1916. His battalion arrived at
Devonport on 22 August.
On 25
November he was transferred overseas, unfortunately then
to spend a short while in hospital with scabies. He had
also a tendency to flat feet, though this caused no
problems. He rejoined his battalion on 20 December,
was dispatched to 171st company on 16 February 1917,
and then returned to his own battalion on 26 March. He
was killed in action on
Friday afternoon, 20 April, 1917. He was
29 (28).
He is
buried at the Berks Cemetery Extension, Belgium. The
words at the bottom of his gravestone read: "Peace
Perfect Peace". He is also commemorated on the
South Australian War Memorial, North Terrace, Adelaide.
A third
brother was also living in Australia - Mr Robert
John ("Bob") Spendiff, of Berri, River Murray, where he was a
fruit-grower and building contractor, based at Winkie,
outside Berri, in south Australia. He later chaired the
local district council. He was executor of
Walter's will.
with thanks to
Sarah
with thanks for extra details to Peter Sheppard |
Spinner, W.
G.
William George
Spinner, 168545. Before the war he had been an
electrician, working first at the Dover Electricity
Works and then for an electrician, Mr Val Martin. He
became a Battery Quartermaster Serjeant in the
179th
Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery. He died
from typhoid on 12 November 1918 at Clivedon Hospital,
Taplow, Buckinghamshire, aged 24. He
left a wife, Minnie E. Spinner, of 8 Springfield Road.
His parents were Charles and Mary Spinner, from Dover.
William had been married only five months. On 8 June
1918, home from the Front for a month's leave, he wed
Minnie Ethel Hollaway at the Primitive Methodist church
in London Road. She was the niece of Mr and Mrs Stephen
Lewis, of Fernbank, 75 Barton Road. The groom's parents
lived at 9 Belgrave Road. The Rev Goldstraw officiated,
while Minnie's cousin Mr W S Lewis played the organ.
Minnie wore a gown of white silk striped voile, with an
embroidered veil, and her bouquet of lilies was a gift
from the groom. He had also bought her a golden pendant.
The bridesmaids wore white silk also, trimmed with lace,
topped by mob caps with pink streamers, and they carried
baskets of pink and white flowers. A reception for
thirty guests was held at the bride's uncle's house, and
the honeymoon at Tunbridge Wells, with the bride wearing
a navy blue costume and a pink hat.
A
fortnight later, on June 23, the newly-weds attended
another ceremony at the Castle. BQMS Spinner had been
awarded the Military Medal for especial bravery. This
occasion was on 10 April 1917, at Vimy Ridge. He was
serjeant of his company and there was a call for
volunteers. Twenty men were needed to capture a couple
of German guns. They did so and manned them, and within
700 yards of the German lines and under heavy fire,
maintained them until both guns were knocked out of
action.
William's funeral was held on the afternoon of Saturday
16 November. The service began at 2.30 in the London
Road Primitive Methodist Church, and the cortège then
went to St James, where he is buried. He was attended by
many members of his family, and his wife laid a floral
tribute, "In loving memory of my darling, from his
Minnie".
His
headstone reads:
 |
In Loving Memory
of
William George Spinner MM
BQMS RGA
who died on Active Service
November 12th 1918
Aged 24 years |
And with the morn those
Angel-Faces smile,
Which we have loved long since, and lost awhile. |
William Spinner was a member of the
London Road Primitive Methodist Church. On the Sunday
evening following his burial, the Rev W W Goldstraw, who
had conducted the funeral, spoke of the life and death
of BQMS Spinner. The hymns included his favourite,
"Nearer my God to Thee", and "Abide with Me", which
William Spinner had sung as a solo at the church the
evening before he had returned to France at the end of
his last leave. It is possible that
William Spinner was the uncle of
Freddie Spinner.
Freddie's father was Frederick Thomas Spinner, as was a
brother of William's.
photo of headstone and transcriptions
with thanks to Joyce Banks see also
The Primitive Methodist Church memorial |
Spittle, R.
G.
Reginald George Spittle, 8937, was born at Aylesbury
(Soldiers Died says Marylebone),
Buckinghamshire. He enlisted in Hounslow, but lived
in Aylesbury, and served as a Private in the London
Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 1st battalion.
He died of wounds on
2 February 1915, at the age of 20, and is buried on
Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres in France. |
Surnames S (part 1 of
3 - Sa to Sha) are here
Surnames S (part 3 of 3 - Sq to end) are
here
|