Second Lieutenant, 2nd Battalion, Leinster Regiment attached 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. Died of wounds 27 November 1914. Aged 20. Son of Paymr. Capt. E. H. Eldred, C.B.E., R.N., and Mrs. E. F. H. Eldred, of Myrtle Cottage, Portchester, Fareham, Hants. Buried in BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot I. Row C. Grave 1.

Extract from The Bond of Sacrifice Volume 1 August to December 1914:

2nd LIEUTENANT JOHN STURGESS ELDRED, 2nd BATTN. THE PRINCE OF WALES'S LEINSTER REGIMENT (ROYAL CANADIANS), born at Sheerness-on-Sea on the 19th September, 1894, was the second son of Fleet-Paymaster Edward H. Eldred, R.N., and a grandson of Edgar Eldred, Esq., of Petersfield, and of the late Commander Richard Sturgess.

He was educated at Weymouth College (Junior School), Old Catton, Norwich, and the R.M.C., Sandhurst. He was gazetted to the Leinster Regiment in August, 1914, and served for a short time at Tipperary and Cork, being then attached to the 2nd Battn. Royal Irish Rifles in the North of France.

He died at Boulogne on the 27th November of wounds received at Ypres on the 8th November, 1919.

Captain, 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Died of wounds 18 April 1916. Aged 45. Son of Col. Sir St. Vincent A. Hammick, 3rd Bart., and (Penelope) Lady Hammick; husband of Muriel Katharine Hammick, of Lythanger, Liss, Hants. Mentioned in Despatches. Buried in BASRA WAR CEMETERY, Iraq. Plot VI. Row K. Grave 5.

Extract from du Ruvigny's Roll of Honour, Volume 2 page 155:

HAMMICK, STEPHEN FREDERICK, Capt., 2nd (52nd Foot), attd. 1st (43rd Foot), Battn. The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, only s. of Col. Sir St. Vincent Alexander Hammick, 3rd Bart., General Staff, B.A., by his 1st wife, Penelope Sarah Blanche, dau. Charles William Beauclerk, of Winchfield House. co. Hants; b. Camberley, and York Town, co. Surrey, 2 Feb. 1871; educ. Marlborough College and Brasenose College, Oxford: gazetted 2nd Lieut. Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 24 Jan. 1894: promoted lieut. 5 June, 1897, and Capt. 11 Dec. 1900; served in the South African War 1899-1902; took part in the Relief of Kimberley: operations in the Orange Free State Feb. to May, 1900, including operations at Paardeberg 17 to 26 Feb. (slightly wounded); operations in Orange River Colony May. to Nov. 1900 operations in the Transvaal March to July. 1901, and Oct. 1901 to 31 May, 1902, and those in Orange River Colony Dec. 1900, to March. 1901, and July. 1901, to March, 1902 (Queen's Medal with three clasps and King's Medal with two clasps). He retired from the Army on retired pay 3 Nov. 1909, to serve in the Reserve: rejoined 4 Aug. 1914; served in the European War 1914-16; embarked with the Expeditionary Force 23 Nov. 1914. to join the 2nd Battn. Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, with which he served until 16 May. 1916, when he was wounded during the action at Richebourg l'Avoué, and invalided to England: served at home with the 3rd (Reserve) Battn.; proceeded to Mesopotamia 10 Dec. with a draft to join the 1st Battn., which at that time was besieged in Rut; took part in the attack on the Turkish position at Ess Sinn, 6 March, 1918, and died in the Base Hospital at Basra 18 April following, from wounds received in action while commanding the firing line of his provisional battalion during the attack on the Turkish position at Sanna-i-Yat. His Commanding Officer wrote: “He was in command of the firing line on the morning of 6 April, when the battalion was under the hottest rifle and machine-gun fire he had ever experienced at about 800 to 400 yards. He was shot through the right lung early in the day, but continued to lead hi-company until a bullet shattered his right elbow joint. He fell gallantly in an action described to me afterwards by our Brigadier as worthy of the best traditions of the 43rd, and is a great loss to the Regiment, and especially to me on account of the work he did for me, and his cheerfulness under all Circumstances.” and one of his Commanding Officers (now Commanding a division) when he was serving in France, on hearing of his death: “He will indeed be a loss to the Regiment. He commanded a company while I was still with the Regiment, and kept things going so well with his unvarying cheerfulness. I know his men were very fond of him, as of course we all were. He always did his duty moat gallantly and was wonderfully fearless.” He m. at Rogate, 6 June, 1906, Muriel Katharine, 4th dau. of the late Capt. Andrew Hamilton Russell, 58th Regt., of the Heath House, Petersfleld, co. Hants), and had two daus.: Penelope Katharine, 5.3 Dec. 1910. and Pamela Blanche. b. 15 Oct. 1913.

Private 6110, 1st King's Dragoon Guards. Killed in action 20th November 1914. Born and enlisted Petersfield. No known grave. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 3.

Commander, H.M.S. Shark, Royal Navy. Killed at the Battle of Jutland 31 May 1916. Aged 36. Posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Born 13 November 1879 to Admiral Loftus Francis Jones and Gertrude (neé Gray), of 30, Sussex Road, Petersfield, Hampshire. Moved from Fiskebackil Cemetery, Sweden and reburied in KVIBERG CEMETERY, Sweden. Plot 2. Row C. Grave 4. Also commemorated on a plaque in Churchers College, Petersfield. His biography is listed on the Royal Naval Museum web site.

TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY OF
COMMANDER LOFTUS WILLIAM JONES
ROYAL NAVY, H.M.S. SHARK
KILLED IN THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND MAY 31ST 1916
BURIED AT FISKEBACKSKIL IN SWEDEN JUNE 24TH 1916
AWARDED THE POSTHUMOUS HONOUR OF THE VICTORIA CROSS
'IN RECOGNITION OF HIS MOST CONSPICUOUS BRAVERY AND DEVOTION TO DUTY IN THE COURSE OF THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND'
FEAR GOD - HONOUR THE KING

Citation from The London Gazette, 6 March 1917

On the afternoon of the 31st May, 1916, during the action, Commander Jones in H.M.S. "Shark", Torpedo Boat Destroyer, led a division of Destroyers to attack the enemy Battle Cruiser Squadron. In the course of this attack a shell hit the "Shark's" bridge, putting the steering gear out of order, and very shortly afterwards another shell disabled the main engines, leaving the vessel helpless. The Commanding Officer of another Destroyer, seeing the "Shark's" plight, came between her and the enemy and offered assistance, but was warned by Commander Jones not to run the risk of being almost certainly sunk in trying to help him. Commander Jones, though wounded in the leg, went aft to help connect and man the after wheel. Meanwhile the forecastle gun with its crew had been blown away, and the same fate soon afterwards befell the after gun and crew. Commander Jones then went to the midship and the only remaining gun, and personally assisted in keeping it in action. All this time the "Shark" was subjected to very heavy fire from enemy light cruisers and destroyers at short range. The gun's crew of the midship gun was reduced to three, of whom an Able Seaman was soon badly wounded in the leg. A few minutes later Commander Jones was hit by a shell, which took off his leg above the knee, but he continued to give orders to his gun's crew, while a Chief Stoker improvised a tourniquet round his thigh. Noticing that the Ensign was not properly hoisted, he gave orders for another to be hoisted. Soon afterwards, seeing that the ship could not survive much longer, and as a German Destroyer was closing, he gave orders for the surviving members of the crew to put on lifebelts. Almost immediately after this order had been given, the "Shark" was struck by a torpedo and sank. Commander Jones was unfortunately not amongst the few survivors from the "Shark" who were picked up by a neutral vessel in the night.

Sergeant 6992, 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Killed in action 12 July 1915. Born Southampton, enlisted Winchester, resident Laureldene. in the 1911 census he is listed as aged 25, living at Wellington Lines, Aldershot [Military]. Buried in TWELVE TREE COPSE CEMETERY, Turkey, Special Memorial Row C. Grave 194.

Note: There are now 3,360 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 2,226 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate many casualties known or believed to be buried among them, including 142 officers and men of the 1st Essex who died on 6 August 1915, and 47 of the 1st/7th Scottish Rifles killed on 28 June.

Lieutenant-Colonel (Political officer), Royal Sussex Regiment. Killed in mesopotamia 12 August 1920. Born 27 July 1880 at Faurley, Petersfield. Awarded the Companion of The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.) and the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.). Also commemorated on a plaque in Churchers College, Petersfield. See also Charterhouse School

TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF
GERARD EVELYN LEACHMAN C.I.E. D.S.O.
LT COLONEL SUSSEX REGT POLITICAL OFFICER
BORN AT FAURLEY PETERSFIELD 27TH JULY 1880
KILLED IN MESOPOTAMIA 12TH AUGUST 1920

D.S.O. details - LEACHMAN, G. E. (D.S.O. L.G. 2.4.19) (Details, L.G. 10.12.19); b. 27.7.80; 2nd Lt., R. Suss. R.. 20.1.00; Lt. 15.10.02; Capt. 19.3.10 ; Major and Bt. Lt.-Col., R. Sussex R., att. Political Dept. (Mesopotamia); C.I.E.; served Europ. War; Despatches.

Details, from the London Gazette 10 December 1919:

LEACHMAN, GERARD EVELYN, C.I.E., Major and Brevet Lieut.-Colonel, Royal Sussex Regt., attached Political Department (Mesopotamia). For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at Huwaish on 28 Oct. 1918, and again at Qaiyarah on 30 Oct. 1918. He displayed marked courage in personally reconnoitring in his own unarmoured car, under heavy fire, ground over which the heavier armoured cars could not move. He then returned to guide them to the attack. The success attained by these cars during the operations was largely due to his intimate knowledge of the country and fearless leading over a trackless desert.

possibly A C Hamilton RUSSELL, Captain, Royal Army Ordnance Department. Died 27 October 1918. Son of Andrew Hamilton Russell and his wife Stephanie (nee Lagier); husband of the late Marguerite Eynard. Buried in the grave of the Eynard family in Rolle Communal Cemetery and commemorated on a special memorial in VEVEY (ST. MARTIN'S) CEMETERY, Switzerland.

Note: In the year 1916, agreements were made between the Swiss Government and the French, British and German Governments under which a certain number of wounded prisoners of war were interned in Switzerland. The first British prisoners arrived on Swiss soil at the end of May, 1916; and the average number under treatment during the remainder of the war was 2,000. Of these, 61 died before repatriation; and, including other casualties, 88 British and Dominion sailors, soldiers and airmen, fallen in the Great War, are buried in Swiss soil. The 1914-18 War graves were concentrated in from the following sites; at Arosa, at Berne, at Chateaud'oex, at Chur, at Clarens, at Constance, at Couvet, at Fribourg, at Interlaken, at Laufenburg, at Lausanne, at Lauterbrunnen, at Leysin and at Sierre.

There are two W SMITH's from Petersfield, either:

Walter Smith, Private 25215, 14th (Service) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Killed in action 26 September 1917. Aged 37. Born Hinton Ampney, enlisted Winchgester, resident Bramdean. Son of William and Eliza Smith, of Wood Lane, Bramdean, Alresford; husband of Flora Elizabeth Smith, of Hill View, West Meon, Petersfield. No known grave. Commemorated on TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 88 to 90 and 162.

or more probably

Walter Smith, Lance Corporal 102685, 8th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). killed in action 6 June 1918. Aged 20. Born Petersfield, enlisted Norwich. Son of Walter and Mary Smith, of 4A, North Rd., Petersfield, Hants. Formerly 30712, Hampshire Regiment. Buried in LA NEUVILLE-AUX-LARRIS MILITARY CEMETERY, Marne, France. Plot/Row/Section B. Grave 42.

Private 22009, 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Killed in action 27 November 1917. Born petersfield, enlisted Portsmouth, resident Havant. Buried in MARCOING BRITISH CEMETERY, Nord, France. Special Memorial 23.

Note: There are now nearly 400, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over half are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 19 soldiers from the United Kingdom, four from Canada and one from New Zealand, known or believed to be buried among them.

Second Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion attached 2nd Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Killed in action 16 May 1915. No known grave. Commemorated on LE TOURET MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 16 and 17.

Extract from The Bond of Sacrifice Volume 2 January - June 1915:

2nd LIEUTENANT WILLIAM JAMES WHITTINGTON, 4th (EXTRA RESERVE) (attd. 2nd) BATTN. THE ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS, the elder son of W. J. Whittington, of Petersfield, was born in that town on the 18th October, 1801. He was educated at Churcher's College, Petersfield, after- wards going to University College, Reading. He was Stroke in his College Eight at Henley in 1913. In August, 1912, he was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the Special Reserve, and when War against Germany was declared two years later he was called up for active service and was attached to the 2nd Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

2nd Lieutenant Whittington was killed at Festubert on the 16th May, 1915. He was last seen alive charging the German position at the head of his Platoon across an open space of three hundred yards, swept by machine-gun fire and covered by shells and shrapnel. He was afterwards seen by some of the survivors of his Platoon, after the trenches had been taken, lying dead on his face on the German parapet. A brother officer wrote : " The one or two of us Who are left miss him more than we can say, for he had a fine lovable character, and as a soldier devoid of fear was loved by his men." He was buried near Festubert.

Captain, 1st Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. Killed in action at Paradis, France 18 October 1914. Aged 39. Son of Col. and Mrs W.H. Wilson, of Broadview, Petersfield. Commemorated on PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 4.

Extract from The Bond of Sacrifice, Volume 1, August to December 1914:

CAPTAIN ARTHUR HENRY WILSON, 1st BATTN. THE EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT, who was killed in action on the 18th October, 1914, was the only surviving son of Colonel and Mrs. W. H. Wilson, of Broadview, Peters field, and was born on the 15th July, 1875. He entered the East Yorkshire Regiment from the Militia in December, 1896, becoming Lieutenant in June, 1898. From December, 1899, to May, 1900, he acted as Adjutant of his battalion.

He served in the South African War, taking part in the operations in the Orange Free State, including the action at Houtnek (Thoba Mountain), in the Orange River Colony, including actions at Biddulphsberg, Wittebergen, and Caledon River ; and was employed with the Mounted Infantry. He also served in Cape Colony, and again in the Orange River Colony in 1901-02, and received for his services the Queen's medal with three clasps and the King's medal with two clasps.

Captain Wilson obtained his company in January, 1903.

Also commemorated on a plaque in Churchers College, Petersfield.

IN MEMORY OF
CAPTAIN ARTHUR HENRY WILSON EAST YORKS REGT
ONLY SURVIVING CHILD OF COLONEL AND
MRS W. H. WILSON OF BROADVIEW PETERSFIELD
WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON THE 18TH OF
OCTOBER 1914 AT PARADIS, FRANCE
AGED 39
"AND THUS DYING THOU SHALT DIE GREATLY"

There are two F W WOODS that fit Petersfield, either:

Frederick William Woods, Lieutenant, "B" Company, 4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. Killed in action 28 August 1918. Aged 37. Son of Henry and Rosina Maria Woods, of 78, St. Vincent St., Southsea, Hants; husband of the late Ethel Annie Aldridge Woods. Native of Petersfield, Hants. India, Dec., 1914 to 1916; Dorset Regt., 1916 to 1917; Musketry Officer in America, Nov., 1917 to May 1918. Territorial Efficiency Medal. Buried in BULLS ROAD CEMETERY, FLERS, Somme, France.

or

Francis William Woods, Private G/73002, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) posted to 1/22nd Battalion, London Regiment. Killed in action 4 October 1918. Aged 19. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent, resident Petersfield. Son of William and Sarah Ann Woods, of 6, Borough Rd., Petersfield, Hants. Formerly 35888, East Surrey Regiment. Buried in AUBERS RIDGE BRITISH CEMETERY, AUBERS, Nord, France. Plot VI. Row D. Grave 14.

Aircraftman 1st Class 620115, Royal Air Force. Died 3 January 1945. Aged 28. Son of John Henry and Emily Finn, of Petersfield, Hampshire. Buried in KRANJI WAR CEMETERY, Singapore. Plot 14. Row A. Grave 18.

Sergeant 7607944, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Died as a prisoner of war of the Japanese 26 August 1943. Aged 26. Born Brighton, resident Hampshire. Buried in KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY, Thailand. Special memorial Plot 9 Row M Grave 4.