Roll of Honour - Dorset - Litton Cheney

The Royal British Legion

Gunner RMA/9392 (RMR/B/1241), S.S. "Burnstone", Royal Marine Artillery. Died 19 March 1918. Aged 36. Husband of Laura Minnie Billett, of White Cross, Litton Cheney, Dorchester. No known grave. Commemorated on PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Hampshire. Panel 30.

Private 16907, 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. Killed in action in Mesopotamia 25 March 1917. Born and resident Litton Cheney, Dorset, enlisted Dorchester, Dorset. No known grave. Commemorated at BASRA MEMORIAL, Iraq. Panel 22 and 63.

Dorsets - No further information currently available

Lance Corporal PLY/4689, S.S. "Calliope", Royal Marine Light Infantry. Died 5 April 1917. Buried in TRAPANI TOWN CEMETERY, Italy. Plot I. Row 4A.

[Memorial states Captain] Lieutenant, "D" Battery, 23rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 17 April 1917. Aged 35. Son of Thomas and Anna Fry, of "Baglake," Litton Cheney, Dorset; husband of Hilda Sophie Fry, of The Old Rectory, Evershot, Dorset. Buried in ANZIN-ST. AUBIN BRITISH CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot II. Row B. Grave 3.

Private 6682, 1st Battalion, Canadian Infantry. Died 29 May 1915. Aged 18. Son of George and Annie Charlotte Fry, of The Paddocks, Litton Cheney, Dorchester. Buried in CHOCQUES MILITARY CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot I. Row C. Grave 82.

Stoker 1st Class 307832, H.M.S. "Queen Mary", Royal Navy. Killed in action, lost with his ship at the Battle of Jutland 31 May 1916. Born 29 May 1886 in Dorchester, Dorset, baptised 15 June 1884 in Litton Cheney, son of George and Jane Northover. Brother of Mary Northover, of Carswell Manor, Faringdon, Berks. Enlisted 24 October 1904 for 12 years. Height 5 feet 4 inches. brown hair, grey eyes, fresh complexion. Postman prior to enlisting. No known grave. In the 1901 census he was aged 18, stepson of Amelia Northover (a widow), born Litton Cheney, Dorset, a Carter's Boy On Farm, resident Litton Cheney, Bridport, Dorset. Commemorated on PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Hampshire. Panel 19.

Major, 46 Punjabis, Indian Army attached to 130th King George's Own Baluchis (Jacob's Rifles). Killed in action 12 April 1915. Born 31 October 1874, baptised 29 November 1874 in Calcutta, Bengal, India, son of Alexander Walker and Anne Yewdale Lambert Smail Walker. Educated Dulwich College. Son of Major General (C.S.I.R.A.) and Annie Walker. Husband of Marion Walker (nee Balfour), marrie 30 April 1913 In St. John's, Peshwar, India. His brother Lieut. Col. Arthur Dunbar Walker also died in service. Buried in TAVETA MILITARY CEMETERY, Kenya. Plot III. Row B. Grave 1.

Extract from De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour 1914-1918, volume 1, page 363 :

WALKER, WILLIAM ARCHIBALD SMAIL, Major, 46th Punjabis, Indian Army, 2nd s. of the late Major-Gen. Alexander Walker, C.S.I., R.A., Director-General of Ordnance in India, 1890-97, by his wife, Anne Yewdale Lambert, dau. of Commander William Archibald Smail, R.N. ; b. Dum-Dum, India, 31 Oct. 1874 ; educ. Dulwich College and Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. unattd. Indian Army, 10 Oct. 1894 ; was attd. to the 1st Somerset L.I. for his first year; entered the Indian S.C. 10 Jan. 1896, and was promoted Lieut. 27 Nov. 1897 ; Capt. 10 Oct. 1903, and Major 10 Oct. 1912 ; served. with the 45th Sikhs and then with the 40th Pathan, and was posted to the 46th Punjabis on their formation ; took part in the operations on the N.W. Frontier of India, 1897-8, including the Defence of Malakand, action at Landakai, and operations in Bajaur (medal with two clasps), and in the Tirah Expedition 1897-8 (clasp), and was afterwards employed with the King's African Rifles, 25 Nov. 1903 to 10 May, 1906. After the outbreak of the European War, he was sent in Jan. 1915, with a double coy. to British East Africa and attd. to the 130th Baluchis (King George's Own). He was commanding a section of the outpost line with headquarters at Mzima on the Tsava River. While visiting sentry groups with an escort of seven men on 12 April, he came on the spoor of a large party of Germans. He followed this up for some way in order to locate the enemy. In returning he was ambuscaded by a smaller party of Germans who were following the main force, and he and two men were shot. He was buried on the banks of the Tsava River—the grave was marked by a cairn of stones; the two men who fell with him me buried. by his side. A brother officer wrote : "I knew him for a fearless man. He was with my regt. in the Tirah Expedition, 1897—I have never met a braver soldier " ; and another : "His escort, Dogras and Gurkhas, five of whom managed to get away, all bear great testimony to his fearlessness and gallantry. He gave the orders with his last breath for his men to scatter ; such is necessary in the bush. He is a great loss to us and to our country—we can ill spare such men." He m. at Peshawar, N.W.P., 30 April, 1913, Marion Balfour, yst. dau. of the Rev. Frederick William Crick, M.A.. Rector of Litton Cheney, Dorset, and had a dau. Anne Margaret, b. 21 Jan. 1914.

Extract from Dulwich College Register:

2921. WALKER, William Archibald Small, b. 31 Oct. 1874; br. of 2452, 3201 and 3990 ; fr. Dul. Coll. Prep. Sch. ; L. July 1889 ; 5th M.; R.M.C. Sandhurst (4th) 1893 ; I.A., 2nd Lt. 11 Oct. 1894 ; Lt. 27 Nov. 1897 ; Capt. 1903 ; Major 1912 ; 45th Sikhs ; 40th Pathans ; 46th Punjabis ; K.A.R. ; 130th Baluchis ; N.W. Frontier of India 1897-8 ; Malakand, Landakai, Bajaur, Tirah. Great War, B.E. Africa ; m. 13 Apr. 1913, Marion Balfour, d. of Rev. Frederick William Crick, M.A., R. of Litton Cheney, Dorset ; 1 d. ; killed in action 12 Apr. 1915 at Mziona on the Tsavo R. Ref. his widow, Dowerfield House, Long Bredy, Dorchester. q. r. l.

Private 4802, 1st/1st (Bucks) Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Died of wounds 24 August 1916. Born Litton Cheney, Dorset, enlisted Bridport, Dorset. In the 1901 census he was aged 20, a servant, a Dairy Assistant Domestic, born Litton Cheney, in the service of Thomas R C Weller, of Litton Cheney, Bridport, Dorset. In the 1911 census he was aged 30, born Litton Cheney, Dorset, a Waggoner On Farm, married to Mabel with four children, resident Rectory Cottage, Upway, Dorset. Buried in ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot IX. Row F. Grave 16A.

Lieutenant, H.M. Submarine "Thistle", Royal Navy. Died 10 April 1940. Aged 28. Son of Lt.-Col. A. Forrest Harper and Mrs. C. R. Harper, of Litton Cheney, Dorsetshire. No known grave. Commemorated on PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Hampshire. Panel 36. Column 3.

Captain 95160, Royal Artillery attached to 654 A.O.P. Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 16 September 1943. Aged 23. Son of Charles H. A. and Gertrude Clare Newman, of Litton Cheney, Dorsetshire. Buried in SALERNO WAR CEMETERY, Italy. Plot I. Row D. Grave 11.

Flying Officer 41321, 413 (R.C.A.F.) Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 22 October 1941. Aged 27. Son of Frank Henry and Luva Lenore Proby, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Sailed to Halifax, Canada from Liverpool 31 March 1941, aboard the ship Nerissa, aged 26, R.A.F. personnel. No known grave. Commemorated on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey. Panel 30.

Trooper 5350592, 148th (9th Battalion, The Loyal Regiment [North Lancashire]) Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps. Killed in action 11 July 1944. Aged 22. Born and resident Dorset. Son of Elizabeth Thorner, of Radipole, Dorsetshire. Buried at RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY, Calvados, France. Plot II. Row C. Grave 8.

Captain 38773, 2nd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment. Killed in action between 28 and 29 May 1940. Born Eire (Ireland), resident Somerset. Son of Lt.-Col. F. W. Van der Kiste, D.S.O., Royal Artillery and Mrs. E. Van der Kiste; husband of Barbara Van der Kiste, of Marylebone, London. Buried in OOSTTAVERNE WOOD CEMETERY, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot V. Row L. Grave 2.

Able Seaman D/J 91065, H.M.S. Glorious, Royal Navy. Died 8 June 1940. Aged 38. Son of William and Mary Webber; husband of Mary Kathleen Webber, of Dorchester, Dorsetshire. No known grave. Commemorated on PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Devon. Panel 38, Column 3.

LITTON CHENEY WAR MEMORIAL