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Remembered Today:

YEOVIL AND THE SOMERSET LIGHT INFANTRY


somerset

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I am currently researching members of the Somerset Light Infantry who came from YEOVIL in Somerset, and certain surounding villages, who died on the Western Front. I am interested to hear from anybody who may be related to the men that I am researching,any information about them would be greatly appreciated, thanks Nick

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Welcome to the Forum, Rock ape. I am currently researching the memorial in Wells. I don't know if you will find any relatives of the men you are researching on this Forum but there are people here who have a great deal of knowledge where the SLI are concerned. How far advanced is your research?

Orson

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Thank you for your reply, I have been researching on and off for nearly ten years. I have photocopied all entries from the "Western Gazette" relating to the caualties, and spent alot of time in the regimental records office in TAUNTON(very helpful staff),looking at battalion diaries etc, this place would be a goldmine for your research. I have visited and photographed many of the graves as well as areas relating to the SLI, especially around YPRES(Hooge,Plugstreet, Langemark,Armentieres etc) SOMME(Quadrilateral,Delville Wood),ARRAS(Roeux, Hyderabad Redoubt etc),LE CATEAU,CAMBRAI, and LE FERTE SOUS JOUARRE I have expanded my original research somewhat and have visited many cemeteries to pay respects to SLI casualties not associated with my research. I still have plenty to do, and I posted my request to try and find people who may have letters, or memorabelia relating to the people I am researching. I hope to put all my research into a book one day. I am sure that there will be areas of mutual interest with our research that we can assist each other with. Look forward to hearing from you in the future Nick

Have you tried Somerset County War Memorial? I have a rather majestic leather-bound volume and the Somerset Roll of Honour therein lists surname, first name, rank, regiment and home town. The first eight names read :-

ABBOTT, Albert, Private, Somerset L.I., Burnley

ABBOTT, Albert Henry, Private, Somerset L.I., Charlton Horethorne (sic)

ABBOTT, Edwin, L-Corpl., Royal West Surrey Regt., Milborne Port

ABBOTT, Sidney Adolphus, Corpl., Gloucestershire Regt., Brislington

ABBOTT, James Frederick, L-Corpl., Somerset L.I., Bootle

ABBOTT, Stanley, Private, Somerset L.I., Crewkerne

ABBOTT, Walter John, Private, R.M.L.I., Yeovil

ABBOTT, William Ewart, Private, Somerset L.I., Bath

and so on to :-

ZIMMERMAN, Harry, Private, Oxford & Bucks. L.I., Weston super Mare

It may just make life a little easier as the home towns are shown as well as non-home county regiments.

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Nick

Have you tried the Yeovil Town War memorial site. (http://www.yeoviltown.com/warmemorial.aspx).

Local historian Jack Sweet has researched all the names on the Town Memorial and given background histories, as far they are known, on each man. It is a really thorough work and well worth examining.

I am researching the men serving as regulars in the Somersets at the outbreak of war and have quite a lot of service records and information for this group which covers anyone with a service number up to 9999. If you are looking for anyone in this range let me know and I will see what I can dig out.

Brian

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Have you tried Somerset County War Memorial? I have a rather majestic leather-bound volume and the Somerset Roll of Honour therein lists surname, first name, rank, regiment and home town. The first eight names read :-

ABBOTT, Albert, Private, Somerset L.I., Burnley

ABBOTT, Albert Henry, Private, Somerset L.I., Charlton Horethorne (sic)

ABBOTT, Edwin, L-Corpl., Royal West Surrey Regt., Milborne Port

ABBOTT, Sidney Adolphus, Corpl., Gloucestershire Regt., Brislington

ABBOTT, James Frederick, L-Corpl., Somerset L.I., Bootle

ABBOTT, Stanley, Private, Somerset L.I., Crewkerne

ABBOTT, Walter John, Private, R.M.L.I., Yeovil

ABBOTT, William Ewart, Private, Somerset L.I., Bath

and so on to :-

ZIMMERMAN, Harry, Private, Oxford & Bucks. L.I., Weston super Mare

It may just make life a little easier as the home towns are shown as well as non-home county regiments.

Thanks for the info. I got the names for my research from the SOLDIERS DIED volume relating to the SLI. This book,in the vast majority of cases,lists a soldiers place of birth as well as his place of enlistment. I think that there is a copy of the SOMERSET ROLL OF HONOUR in the Rifles records office in TAUNTON, I think it would be worth looking through it to make sure that noboby has slipped through the net.

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Nick

Have you tried the Yeovil Town War memorial site. (http://www.yeoviltown.com/warmemorial.aspx).

Local historian Jack Sweet has researched all the names on the Town Memorial and given background histories, as far they are known, on each man. It is a really thorough work and well worth examining.

I am researching the men serving as regulars in the Somersets at the outbreak of war and have quite a lot of service records and information for this group which covers anyone with a service number up to 9999. If you are looking for anyone in this range let me know and I will see what I can dig out.

Brian

Thanks for the website, I will look on it shortly. With reference to the soldiers you are researching, I'll bear your offer in mind. I have wondered if the council office in YEOVIL might have any information that I could find useful-have you tried them. I have also been keen to find out about the individuals lives before they joined up, do you have any ideas of places I could approach. Thanks for your interset, and thanks again for showing me the County Records Office in Taunton a couple of years ago when we met in the Rifles records office. regards Nick

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Thanks for the info. I got the names for my research from the SOLDIERS DIED volume relating to the SLI. This book,in the vast majority of cases,lists a soldiers place of birth as well as his place of enlistment. I think that there is a copy of the SOMERSET ROLL OF HONOUR in the Rifles records office in TAUNTON, I think it would be worth looking through it to make sure that noboby has slipped through the net.

As you can see, out of the nine men that I listed only five were in the Somerset Light Infantry. Look at a local war memorial and you will find a similar disparity. And of course Soldiers Died will not have navy or airmen. So if you have been relying on Soldiers Died I think that you will find that quite a few will have escaped your net.

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  • 2 weeks later...
As you can see, out of the nine men that I listed only five were in the Somerset Light Infantry. Look at a local war memorial and you will find a similar disparity. And of course Soldiers Died will not have navy or airmen. So if you have been relying on Soldiers Died I think that you will find that quite a few will have escaped your net.

You are right with your comment, I have since looked on the Yeovil town website which has a very interesting list from the war memorial compiled by local historian Jack Sweet. There were a few names listed as SLI which had escaped my net, therefore I was back in YEOVIL today going over old copies of the "WESTERN GAZETTE". Hopefully now I have a definitive list of names to research.

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