Wyke Regis

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Burials at Wyke Regis Cemetery (New Burial Ground)
Research by Richard Smith into the lives and deaths of the CWGC War Casualties buried in Wyke Regis.

CWGC burials at Wyke Regis Cemetery (New Burial Ground), Weymouth

BATTRICK Denis Henry Pilot Officer No. 125307 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve No. 5 Operational Training Unit based at RAF Turnberry, Ayr, Scotland.

Born at Portsmouth, Hampshire on 6th May 1921, son of Percy Charles Battrick, a G.W.R. goods shunter and his wife Ethel Canterbury. In
September 1939 Denis was working as a junior clerk for the local authority. On 20th August 1942 he was the observer in a Bristol Beaufighter on a night
training flight from Turnberry which flew into high ground near Glenhead Farm, Turnberry shortly after taking off. He was aged 21 and was buried on
the 25th in grave No. E. 271. The family address was 8 North Road, Wyke Regis.

BRINSLEY Sidney [or Sydney] George Percy Private No. 14104367 General Service Corps.

Born on 13th October 1924 at Weymouth son of Percy Walter Brinsley, a house painter, and his wife Sophia Mary Mortimer. The family home was at 69 High
Street, Wyke Regis. In the 1939 Register Sidney was a pupil at the Royal West of England Residential School for the Deaf in Exeter. In January 1943 Sidney
married Marjorie Olive Copperthwaite at Wells, Somerset. His death on 10th June 1946 was registered at Litchfield, Staffordshire, but I found no cause
to say if was an accident or disease. He was buried on the 15th in grave No. F. 228.

BURT Frederick Thomas Private No. 17533 6th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment

Born in Upwey, Dorset in April 1897 son of John Walter Burt, a dairyman, and his wife Frances Mary Ann Tewkesbury, who died in 1916. Frederick
died at 2nd General Military Hospital, Leeds, Yorkshire on 5th November 1918 but I did not find if it was from war wounds or illness. He was buried
on the 11th in grave No. 353A. The family were living at Mandeville Cottage, Camp Road, Wyke Regis, Weymouth.

CHAMBERS Thomas Sergeant No. 1333631 2nd Group Support Unit Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Thomas was born in 1924 in the Christchurch district of Hampshire. His parents Thomas Chambers, a house painter, and Leah Emily Edith Avon (born at Poole in
1902) married at Poole in April 1924 but in September 1939 were living a 5 Albert Road, Rochester, Kent. On the 21st July 1944 Thomas was the
navigator in a De Havilland Mosquito flying from RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk on a night navigational exercise when it flew into high ground near
Portland Bill. He was aged 21 and buried in grave No. F. 226.

CLEEVE Ronald George Sergeant No. 1315213 97 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Born in Weymouth on 16th July 1922 son of James Cleeve, a Royal Naval pensioner and beer retailer, and his wife Annie Elizabeth Cox. In September 1939 they
were living at 64 High Street, Wyke Regis, Ronald was recorded as an apprentice gas fitter. On 17th December 1943, Ronald was the wireless operator/air gunner
on an Avro Lancaster from RAF Bourne, Cambridgeshire returning in bad visibility from a bombing raid on Berlin when it crashed near Gransdon, about four miles
from it's base, so had it been damaged by German flak? He was aged 21 and buried in grave No. E. 273.

DUFFIELD Philip Walter Christian Leading Seaman D.S.M. No. P/JX 126166 HMS Tadpole Royal Navy

Born in Portsmouth, Hampshire on 10th November 1910, son of Philip Henry Duffield, a Royal Naval pensioner, and his wife Martha Elizabeth Dyer. He
first enlisted in the Royal Navy on 10th February 1926 until 31st December 1928. In December 1935 he married Hilda Jane May Lane at Weymouth, and in
September 1939 she was living at 4 Shubbery lane, Wyke Regis, but Philip is absent. At some point he rejoined the Royal Navy as the London Gazette
announced on 11th February 1941 that Philip had been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, but I did not find for which action. He died
aged 33 from a fractured skull arising from a cycling accident at Portsmouth on 21st September 1944, and was buried on the 27th in grave No.
F. 212.

GROVES Maurice Arthur Fitter/Gunner No. 256138 81st Battery 15th Brigade Royal Field Artillery

Born in Wyke Regis in July 1898 son of Arthur James Groves, a dairy farmer, and his wife Elizabeth Ann English ho died in 1916. The family home was "The
Steppes" 9 Portland Road, Wyke Regis. Maurice had served in Belgium but was home on leave when he died on 4th February 1919 aged 20 from
pneumonia, possibly caught travelling home from the War. He was buried on the 7th February (no grave No.).

HARVEY Anstice Fairfax Nurse Portland Royal Navy Hospital Voluntary Aid Detachment

Born in Wimborne Minster, Dorset on 12th December 1888 daughter of Rev'd Henry Fairfax Harvey who died on 12th July 1918 leaving an estate worth
some £39,000, and his wife Beatrice Frances Pitman. The family home was at Elidor" Weymouth. Anstice was 29 when she died on 28th October 1918 at
the Royal Naval Hospital, Portland where she worked, but cause of death not found. She was buried in grave No. B. 132. Her probate to her sister Diana
Elizabeth Fairfax Harvey on 15th August 1919 was for £1,445 16s.

JOLLY Alfred Frank Major M.C. 5th Dorset (Weymouth) Brigade Home Guard previously Captain East Yorkshire Regiment.

Born at Streatham, Surrey on 21st July 1894 son of Frank Jolly, a land agent who died in 1904, and his wife Ellen Alice Parker who died in 1926. Educated
at Bedford School along with his brother Richard, he had a distinguished military service winning the Military Cross in W W One. On 28th June 1918 he married Enid
Constance Steghall at Baughurst, Hampshire and in 1939 they were living at "Maristowe" 130 Wyke Road, Weymouth where Alfred was Managing Director of
a dry cleaning company. He died as a result of enemy action in a bombing raid on Weymouth on 3rd April 1942 aged 47 and was buried in grave No. E.
296. His probate to his accountant on 1st August 1942 was for £5,447 5s 9d. His brother Cdr. Richard Frank Jolly R.N. was posthumously awarded first the
Empire Gallantry Medal (Military) presented to his widow by King George VI on 6th February 1940, replaced by the George Cross in October 1941. See
also the Weymouth Roll of Honour for WW2.

JONES John Chief Steward S.S. Sambur Great Western Railway Co. and Merchant Navy

Born at Burton, Pembrokeshire in 1876 son of Thomas Jones, a skilled labourer who died in January 1892, and his wife Mary Skone. On 26th
November 1910 John married Emily Cresswell Norster at Wyke Regis. S.S. Sambur played an integral part in Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of
Allied troops from the beaches at Dunkirk, bringing some 600 men home at the end May/early June 1940. John died at sea on Sambar from enemy action
off the coast of France on 13th June 1940, aged 64, and was buried on 17th in grave No. E. 190. His widow Emily was living at 37 Williams Avenue, Wyke
Regis.

KING William Sergeant No. 4863 3rd Dorsershire Regiment

Army records say he was born at Castle Cary, Somerset in 1870 and died at Wyke Regis (at the Camp ?) on 9th May 1918 but I found nothing about
him or family. He was buried on the 14th in grave No. 102B. His widow Ellen is listed by CWGC as living at The Triangle, Yeovil, Somerset.

MUNRO Louis William Battery Quarter Master Sergeant No 1402485 Royal Garrison Artillery

Born at Bristol, Gloucestershire in January 1884 son of Alexander Munro, a commercial traveller, and his wife Mary Ella who died in December 1889.
Louis had already joined the R G A by April 1911 and on 4th September 1915 was serving in France as Corporal No. 22725. On 12th June 1915 he married
Ida Ethel Garland at Holy Trinity church, Weymouth. He died at the Military Hospital, Bovingdon Camp, Wool, Dorset on 17th March 1921 but no cause of
death found. He was buried on the 22nd in grave No. B. 7. 173. His widow Ida was living at South View, The Square, Wyke Regis.

NEW Wilfred Henry Warrant Engineer M.I.D. HMS Victory IV Royal Navy

Born at Manor Park, London on 29th November 1901, son of Henry Thomas New, a carpenter and joiner, and his wife Hannah Hanscombe Cooper. He enlisted
in the Royal Navy on 2nd January 1917, and in July 1930 married Beatrice Prior at Weymouth. He was "Mentioned in Despatches" for his War
service, but died at the Royal Auxillary Hospital, Minterne Magna, Dorset from malignant lymphosarcoma on 10th March 1945 and was buried on the 13th
in grave No. E. 250. His probate to Beatrice on 6th July 1945 was for £782 5s. They were living at 176 Portland Road, Wyke Regis.

PEARCEY Albert Morgan George Sick Berth Attendant No. P/MX 535420 HMS Victory Royal Navy

Born at Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire on 16th May 1925 son of Enos Pearcey, a farm shepherd, and his wife Edna May Cave. In 1939 they were living at
Tyneham, Dorset. Albert died aged 19 at Royal Naval Auxiliary Hospital, Barrow Gurney, Somerset on 30th May 1944 from pulmonary tuberculosis and
pericardial effusion. He was buried in grave No. E. 275. By then his parents had left Tyneham and were living at Wyke Regis.

WAY Peter Thomas Able Seaman No. P/JX 174145 HMS Witherington Royal Navy

Born at Portland, Dorset on 3rd July 1919 son of Lowman Pearce Way, a house painter and plumber, and his wife Ethel May Koch. They had married at Holy
Trinity church Weymouth on 17th April 1916 after Lowman had enlisted in the Royal Engineers as a Sapper on 18th April 1910. Peter died aged 21 at
Northern Hospital, Childwell, Wavertree, Liverpool on 20th March 1941 of pulmonary tuberculosis and was buried on the 25th March in grave No. E. 62.
His probate to Ethel Mary Hurley on 22nd October 1941 for £151 10. 5d gave his address as 9 Orion Road, Weymouth.

June 2025

Richard Smith

orchidgrower@btinternet.com

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