Historic Records Men of 1914

Arrived overseas: 15 August 1914. Connection: 1914 Star. I was fortunate to be the high bidder on Adolphus Glaire's 1914 Star at auction in January this year. He appears to have gone by the name of 'Dofey' rather than Adolphus, but even so, his name is unique. He was born at Ventnor on the Isle of Wight in 1887, and along with two of his brothers, he was educated at Lowtherville School, Ventnor. He joined the 5th Dragoon Guards in April 1907, arriving overseas with his regiment on the 15th August 1914. Dofey Glaire served throughout the war and in 1919 re-enlisted with the Tank Corps, serving for a further 1 year and 321 days. His original Tank Corps regimental number was 33621 and this was subsequently replaced with the army number 392129. One of Adolphus's brothers, Charles Glaire, was an early casualty of the war, being seriously wounded in September 1914 at the Battle of the Marne, whilst serving with the 1st Hampshire Regiment, and subsequently dying of his wounds ...

Arrived overseas: 7 August 1914. Connection: 1914 Star trio. William Henry Fecamp was born in Bermondsey in 1882. On the 8th July 1901 he got his first taste of military life when he attested with the Kent Artillery, a militia unit. His suriving attestation papers show that he was aged 19 years and five months, living at 7 Claxton Grove, Hammersmith and working as a gas fitter for Mr Burgeman in Fulham. He stood five feet, eight and a quarter inches tall, had a pale complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He also had a number of tattoos including a heart, clasped hands and the intials  WHF on his right arm, and clasped hands and a woman on his left forearm. Henry trained for 49 days and then immediately enlistaed as a career soldier with the 5th Dragoon Guards. Although no papers survive for William, he probably enlisted for seven years with the colours followed by five years on the reserve. Certainly, by the time the 1911 census was taken, he was back working as a gas fitter an...