WW1 Soldiers who died in September 1916 "We will remember them"

William LOVERING

Born, 1894 in Broadhembury,  son of Henry and Mary Elizabeth Lovering of Kercombe, Gittisham. ?Curscombe Feniton?

He served in the 4^th Battalion Devonshire Regiment and died on the 16^th September 1916 age 22 and buried in the Baghdad North Gate war cemetery.

Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919
Name:	William LOVERING
Rank:	PRIVATE
Initials:	W
Birthplace:	Broadhembury, Devon
Residence:
Enlisted:	Cullompton, Devon
Regiment, Corps etc.:	Devonshire Regiment
Battalion etc.:	2/4th Battalion (Territorials).
	Formed at Exeter 16.9.14. Oct. 2/Devon & Cornwall Bde. 2/Wessex Div. 12.12.14 embarked at Southampton for India arriving early Jan. 1915. 15.10.17 sailed from Bombay for Egypt. 25.10.17 landed at Suez. 13.12.17 to 234th Bde. 75th Div. July 1918 left 75th Div. and disbanded in Egypt on 17.8.18.
Number:	2005
Date died:	16 September 1916
How died:	Died
Theatre of war:	Mesopotamia

He enlisted at Cullompton into 2/4^th (Territorial) Battalion,  Devonshire Regiment (NOT the 4^th Battalion). The Battalion was formed at Exeter on 16^th Sept 1914 and was attached to the Devon & Cornwall Brigade of the 2^nd Wessex Division on 2 Oct 1914. They embarked at Southampton for India on 12 Dec 1914 arriving there in early Jan 1915 when they moved to Wellington in the Madras area. The Battalion saw no action for 1916 and most of 1917.H he died of an illness and was not killed or wounded in battle. But if he did die of an illness when serving in India why is he buried in Baghdad? I can only think that as the CWGC site has him in the 4^th Battalion, Devon’s on death that he had been sent from his own battalion to make up the strength of the 4^th which was serving in Mesopotamia. (Although the Devonshire Regimental history lists him as dying in service with the 2/4^th Battalion)  According to the Regimental History the 4^th and 6^th Battalions in Mesopotamia were very badly affected by illness during the period May to August 1916 at times having half of the strength in hospital. 

Patteson's Cross Refurbishment

Feniton History Group held the 71st meeting in the Nog Inn

Chuffed to report on another very lively evening!

We debated the wanton vandalism to the Boundary Stone, which is safe in my garage. The meeting decided that we would arrange for it to be set in concrete. Thank you Brenda for the hard hitting article in the September parish magazine.

I hope to arrange for Jim Wooley from Ottery Heritage to join us in November for a talk on his book  ‘Ottery Sacrifice 1914-1921’. This has been a huge undertaking embracing years of research and months of preparation. Jim has been helped along the way by his Heritage Society Committee. Supported by a HLF grant under their ‘First World War: Then and Now’ scheme, the Ottery Heritage Society’s ‘Great War Project’ includes plans to publish a series of books recording the activities of all Ottregians who served in the First World War, both those who died and those who survived.

David updated us on the progress so far in getting Patteson’s Cross monument refurbished.

Work will start shortly. It would be useful to see if we can find out about its recent history, the date of the one or two road accidents that damaged it and when it was moved. There is to be a fund raising event in the church to make up the shortfall for the costs.

How this next conversation came about I not sure, but we seem to have a Radio Devon Star living the village, her chats with David Fitzgerald as part of his “Crossword” section each day are legendary. Gloria even has her own fan club!

Alan then had us all in stitches with his wonderful Devon Dialect sayings, “where be her to” and the like. We discussed how there are differences in the various areas of the county. Plymouth born folk use the accent “Janner” according Hugh. Fascinating.

Sadly, I had to leave at this point, but no doubt you all carried on long into the night!

Next meeting in the Nog Inn, thanks to our hosts, Mike and Rosemarie, on Thurs. 6^th Oct.