Private, 41343, 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Born in 1878, in Burley, Hampshire, he was a resident of, and enlisted in Southampton, Hampshire, and he was killed in action on the 16th August, 1917, aged 39 years. Son of William and Mary E. Blake, of Burley, Ringwood, Hampshire. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, Panel 70 to 72.

2nd Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion attached to the 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. Died on the 26th July, 1917, of sickness, aged 36 years. Son of Ebenezer Newel Blanchard and Elizabeth Blanchard, of Uplands, Burley, Brockenhurst, Hampshire. Buried in the Amara War Cemetery, Iraq, grave reference XIV. A. 3.

Captain, M.C. "B" Company, 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Born 8th August, 1895, he was killed in action on the 2nd September 1918, at Eterpigny, Somme aged 23 years. Son of J.C.G. and W. M. Bowen of Durmast Cottage, Burley, Brockenhurst, Hampshire. Buried in Windmill British Cemetery, Monchy-le-Preux, grave ref: II. D. 18 and remembered on the grave of his grandparents. He is also commemorated in St. Thomas’s Cathedral, Bombay, India and Charterhouse School Memorial Chapel, Godalming, Surrey.

Driver, 645298, 31st Brigade Ammunition Column, Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery. Born in 1896, in Burley, Hampshire, he was a resident of Bournemouth, Dorset. He died on the 25th September, 1918, at the 29th General Hospital, Salonika, and he is buried in the Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Regional unit of Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece. Grave reference 338.

© War Graves Photographic Project

Captain, 11th Battalion, formerly 4th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Born in London in 1887 he was killed in action on the 4th September, 1915, aged 28 years. Son of Captain, the Hon. Arthur Fortescue (Coldstream Guards) and of Mrs. Gertrude Fortescue (nee Fane) and husband of Adelaide Fortescue, of Thorney Wood, Christchurch, Hampshire. Buried in the Rue-Du-Bacquerot (13th London) Graveyard, Laventie, Pas de Calais, France, grave reference D. 14.

Private, 23157, 1st Battalion, Royal Hampshire Regiment. He was born in Freshwater, Isle Of Wight, he resided in Burley, Hampshire. He was killed in action on the 11th April, 1917. He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, Boulevard du General de Gaulle, Arras, France. Bay 6.

Chief Stoker, 283924. (Po), H.M.S. Good Hope. Royal Navy. Born on 23rd April, 1876 in Burley, Hampshire, he was killed or died as a direct result of enemy action, when H.M.S. Good Hope was sunk by gunfire on 1st November 1914 by the German armoured cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and SMS Gneisenau off the Chilean Coast during the Battle of Coronel, when the entire crew was lost. Son of Eli and Sarah Lester of Bisderne Close, Burley, Ringwood, Hampshire, and husband of Ruth Lester of 32, South Wallington, Fareham, Hampshire. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 3.

2nd Lieutenant, 5th Battalion, attached 1st Battalion (Battalion Lewis Gun Officer), King’s Royal Rifle Corp. Born 21st July, 1897, baptised on the 24th August, 1897, he was killed in action on the 14th November, 1916, aged 19 years. Son of Sir George Lowndes, K.C.S.I., R.C., of Crow Hill Ringwood, Hampshire, and of Hilda Julia, his wife (nee Forbes). Buried in the Frankfurt Trench British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel, France, grave reference B. 16.

Major, temporary Lieutenant Colonel, King’s Own Scottish Borderers. C.M.G, D.S.O. Mentioned in despatches. Deserving of a special mention. Gazette issue 30434 on 14/12/1917, page 13234. Died 11th April, 1924.

Lance Corporal, 9295, 1st Battalion Royal Hampshire Regiment. Born in 1895 in Burley, Hampshire, he was killed in action on the 26th April, 1915, aged 20 years. Son of Eli and Elizabeth Emily Sims, of 12, Gates, Burley, Brockenhurst, Hampshire. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium, Panel 35.

Gunner, 75767, 132nd Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Born in 1891, in Burley, Hampshire, where he was a resident at Pound Avenue, Burley, Hampshire. He worked as a gardener and enlisted on the 10th January, 2926. He died on the 26th April, 1918, of wounds he received on the 21st March, aged 27 years. Son of Phillip and Fanny Stride, of Burley, Brockenhurst, Hampshire and husband of Emily Kate Stride, nee Faulkner of 4, Quomp Road, Ringwood, Hampshire. Buried in the St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France, grave reference P. XI. F.

Flight Lieutenant, 72017, 58th Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Born on 19th October, 1912, he died on the 24th January, 1943. Son of F. W. Andrews and Muriel Andrews; husband of Joan Andrews, of Honiton, Devon. B.A. (Oxon.). Buried in St. John’s Churchyard (East Part), Burley, Hampshire.

Commander, D.S.C. and Bar, R D, H.M.C.S. Valleyfield, Royal Naval Reserve. He died on the 7th May, 1944 when the ship was torpedoed by U-548, 50 nautical miles south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Son of John and Margaret Byron and husband of Frances Mary Byron, of Regent's Park, London. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 87, Column 3.

Note: HMCS Valleyfield was a River-class frigate that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was torpedoed and sunk in May 1944, the only River-class frigate lost by the RCN. She was named for Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec.

Lieutenant Colonel, D.S.O., 52662, Commanding, 1st Battalion, Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Born in Perth, he died on the 28th October, 1944, aged 32 years. Son of Brigadier- General Robert Hugh Hare, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., M.V.O., and Lillian L. Hare and husband of Rosemary Hare, of Warminster, Wiltshire. Probate granted for James Hugh Hare, of Trokes Mead, Burley, Ringwood, Hampshire, at Llandudno on the 20th June, 1945, to Robert Hugh Hare, retired Brigadier-General, H.M. Army. Effects £813 9s 1d.

Flying Officer, 150468, 190 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Born in 1918, he was a resident of Manor Farm, Burley, Hampshire. He was killed on 15th April, 1945, aged 27 years. Son of Arthur Bertram Lewis and Julia Lewis, of Burley, Hampshire. Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 267, Englefield Green, Runnymede, Surrey.

Chaplain, H.M.S. Penelope, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Born in 1911, he died on the 18th February, 1944, aged 33 years. when H.M.S. Penelope was torpedoed. Son of Lt.-Col. Aldwin Montgomery Munby, The Border Regiment, and of Evelyn Muriel Munby (nee Webb) and husband of Ruth Sylvia Munby, of Haywards Heath, Sussex.

Note: On 18 February 1944, H.M.S. Penelope was leaving the Anzio area to return to Naples when she was torpedoed in position 40º55'N, 13º25'E, by the German submarine U-410. The torpedo struck her in the after engine room and was followed, by a second one which hit in the after boiler room, causing her immediate sinking. The remarkable point of the attack by U-410 is that the cruisers was making 26 km when hit. As far as can be ascertained, this is a unique case in the history of submarine attacks in all of WWII, no other ship running at such speed was ever successfully attacked. 415 of the crew, including the captain went down with the ship. There were 206 survivors.

HMS Penelope

Able Seaman, P/JX 130670, H.M.S. Grenville, Royal Navy. Born in 1912, he died on the 19th January, 1940 when H.M.S. Grenville, returning from patrol searching for enemy shipping traffic off the Dutch and German North Sea coast was sunk by a mine. He was aged 28 years. Son of Bertram and Rose Peckham and husband of Iris Eleanora Peckham, of Burley, Hampshire. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 39.

Able Seaman, P/J 91515, H.M.S. Mohawk, Royal Navy. Born in 1902, he was one of 43 who died when his ship was sunk at the Battle of Cape Matapan, on the 16th April, 1941. He was aged 39 years. Son of Samuel and Mary Read; husband of Ethel May Read.

Note: H.M.S. Mohawke served on convoy duties in the North Sea, and with the 14th Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean where she participated in the Battle of Calabria in July 1940 and the Battle of Cape Matapan in March 1941. Mohawk was struck by two torpedoes fired by the Italian Navigatori-class destroyer Tarigo as she attacked an Italian convoy and sank off the Kerkennah Islands in eastern Tunisia on 16 April 1941 with the loss of 43 of her crew.

HMS Mohawke

Lieutenant, 122275, Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's). Born in 1907, he was killed on 23rd March, 1942. Son of Augustus Mirams and Margaret Mirams (nee Scott); husband of Mary Frances Scott nee Backus (died 20th June, 1941). Formerly District Officer Sarawak Civil Service. Buried in the Stellawood Cemetery, Durban, Kwazulu Nata, South Africa, Block F. Grave 262.

Telegraphist, D/JX 146419, H.M.S. Exeter, Royal Navy. Born in 1919, he was a resident at The Beeches, Shappen Hill, Burley, Hampshire. He was killed in action on the 13th December, 1939, aged 20 years. Son of Frederick William James Taylor and Gwendoline de Launay Taylor, of Burley, Hampshire. Commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 34, Column 1.

Note: H.M.S. Exeter took part in action against GRAF SPEE with H.M.S. Ajax and H.M.S. Achilles,and the ship was seriously damaged by 11in shells with casualties and outbreak of fire. Continued to engage the enemy until power was lost by flooding. Withdrawn from action with a heavy list and all guns unserviceable. Casualty list included 63 killed and 23 wounded.

Midshipman H.M.S. Gloucester, Royal Navy. Born in 1922, and a resident at Heatherside, Burley, Hampshire he died on the 23rd May, 1941, when German dive bombers which sank the ship. Son of George Anderson Wyllie, and of Noel Mary Wyllie, of Sway, Hampshire. Commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 44, Column 3.

Note: Gloucester formed part of a naval force acting against German military transports to Crete, with some success. On 22 May 1941, while in the Kythira Strait, about 14 miles (26 km) north of Crete, she was attacked by German Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bombers and sank, having sustained at least four heavy bomb hits and three near-misses. Of the 807 men aboard at the time of her sinking, only 85 survived. Her sinking is considered to be one of Britain's worst wartime naval disasters.