Melksham Times Past

A column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa Ellis

Somewhat inaccurate statistics of World War I

It is devastating to parents to receive notice their son has died in war. On 31st March, 1917, living in Shurnhold, Ronald and Alice Male’s son Walter, was killed in Baghdad. Then almost nine months later, another son, Roy Douglas Male was killed in Palestine.

This was a family accustomed to war, but that doesn’t make it easier. Not only did they have these two sons serving in the Middle East, but two other sons were in the Royal Navy and a fifth son in the Royal Marine Light Infantry. Ronald (their father) was an “old volunteer” and his father, as well as his father-in-law were both Crimean veterans.

Son Roy worked for Avon Rubber, as well as two others who also died around the same time he did (November 1917): John Alford of Whitley, and George Curnick of Beanacre.

The following lists are not exhaustive; they are only those I have found who lived locally and served in World War I. As research continues, I still run across more, and numbers will update. (Note: sums won’t add up because of multiple afflictions, or causes unknown) Of those known:

• 422 deaths (five gassed, 31 diseased [ie influenza, malaria, tuberculosis, etc], 280 wounded [ie gunshot])
• 1,106 injuries (78 gassed, 151 of disease, 166 wounded, five shell shock [though many others went unreported])
• 50 Prisoners of War
• 10 Conscientious Objectors

Many employers went to tribunals to try to get their employees exempted from serving overseas, stating they were too valuable to the area as a whole. For instance, Clifford Victor Little of Whitley was employed on a grazing farm of 23 acres and his employer argued that he supplied meat to the town’s butcher and was indispensable. Little was granted a one-month exemption but died in France two years later.

Melksham cycle agent, William John Cleverly applied for exemption, stating he had four children under the age of 12. Cleverly died in France of pneumonia, aged 38.

These soldiers were farmers, bakers, drapers, shop keepers, victuallers – probably never left their home town – and were sent to far-off places, some may never had heard of the country. (Note: soldiers served in multiple countries; also some countries haven’t been found during research.) Of those known:

• 470 served in Belgium and France
• 13 served in Italy
• 48 served in Mesopotamia, Turkey, Iran, Iraq
• 29 served in Serbia, Greece
• 73 served in India
• 24 served in South Africa

Service to the country was not always overseas. As well as home guarding and fire watching, 66 served in the Red Cross.

These numbers are only provided to give you a flavour of the impact WWI had on the community. By comparison, the population of Melksham, including Melksham Without, in the 1921 census was 6,228, and the average age was 31.

Basically, 30% of locals were World War I-serving in one capacity or another. The 1911 census population for both regions was 5,726, so fairly comparable. Average age 29. Blame the fluctuation of births, longevity and migration for the slight anomaly.

I have to stress the inaccuracy of these numbers because many records were lost or destroyed, and there’s no way I can have eyes on or access to every single document out there and have the opportunity/time to transcribe/record everything. And I don’t know the exact population of the area on the day that war was declared. In other words, please do not quote me on this.

In the picture is the Avon Roll of Honour from 1914, listing the staff and employees who served with the colours, volunteering at the start of World War I.

The number of names listed is astounding until you realise that this is only a small portion of those who served during the four years the war raged. The sign itself is about an A1 size, originally displayed at Avon Rubber, illuminated and enclosed in a handsome frame. The poster itself was kindly and thoughtfully – and thankfully – saved from the skip by John Viveash.