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Roger W. Coleman MBE 430 Pages |
over 300 b&w illustrations
The two plaques of the Roll of Honour to the 189 men of the 7th Battalion (Territorial Force) Hampshire Regiment who gave their lives in the Great War, 1914-1919, used to be hung either side of the Battalion’s War Memorial in the Drill Hall, Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth. The 7th Battalion, whose origins go back to the Volunteer Battalions, had its headquarters in Bournemouth, with other companies in the town, neighbouring Christchurch, Poole and the market towns and villages in the New Forest. The volunteers came from all walks of life and employment and were aged from sixteen to the late forties, many having served for numerous years. The Battalion wore a distinctive cap-badge, which reflected its links to the New Forest with its ‘dog gauge’ surrounded by laurel leaves and its title. At the outbreak of war, on the 4th August 1914, Colonel W Roberts-Thomson the Commanding officer, along with many of its Officers and men volunteered to serve overseas. This was not one of the requirements when signing on as a Territorial. Initally the Battalion was stationed in India, relieving regular battalions stationed there. Later seeing active srvice in Aden and Mesopotamia. Many of those who subsequently perished have no known grave and are commemorated on Memorials to the Missing. The memorials in Iraq, formerly Mesopotamia, and the cemeteries sadly have been badly damaged in recent times. Major Roger Coleman’s impeccably researched history details the individual members of the 7th Battalion (Territoral Force)Hampshire Regiment who gave their lives during the Great War.
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