WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
The men of Tavistock who died in the First World War


A FLAVOUR OF THE BOOK
by Alex Mettler and Gerry Woodcock

from the story of James Watts, died 1914

"For eight local families the tragedy of losing a son in the war struck twice.The pain and anguish that those parents had to endure is difficult to imagine. But for John and Susan Watts it was even worse. They lost three sons",

on the marriage of John Yard, died 1916

"One can imagine the kind of jokes that might have circulated among the wedding guests. They had gathered on a Sunday afternoon in September 1910 in Tavistock's fourteenth-century Parish Church. One one side of the aisle sat the Yards, on the other the Foots. John Yard was marrying Mabel Foot".

from the story of Henry Weaver, died 1916

"There, on 18 September, she gave birth to a daughter, whom she called Phyllis, a name that Henry was known to favour. She did not know that her husband had died ten days before".

Conversation, with the bereaved father of Henry Perkin (died 1915), that a Brentor doctor had had with a wounded soldier

"He told me of the wonderful bravery of one of the Canadians, who ought to have been awarded the VC. He was wounded, but still went on trying to save the lives of his comrades. The name of the hero was said to be Henry Perkin".

from the story of Christopher Hoskyns-Abrahall senior, died 1915

"Christopher passed on to both his sons the qualities of courage and boldness that had characterised his career. His younger son and namesake lost his life in 1917 as a pioneer airman. James the elder son, served in the Australian Expeditionary Force, received the Military Medal, was severely wounded, but survived."

excerpt from the Chenhall brothers story, died 1916

"The two brothers, both born above the shop at 21 West Street, Tavistock, lie together in death. Their graves are side by side in Row B of the Baghdad North Gate War Cemetery".

William Jago, died 1917, re-enlisted in frustration of waiting for a civilian job

" The reply to his letter of application took a long time to come. William finally ran out of patience and decided he would be more use back in France. Early one morning he left to enlist, He never returned. That same morning the post brought him a letter offering him the prison job".

couplet in the local press from Charles Bickle's parents in 1917

... Out in the desert he heard the cry,
Wounded and helpless he had to die

on the death of Percy Coles, died 1919

"He was still there in March 1919 when, on the 19th, he left for home to begin his pre-demobilisation furlough. He died in Tavistock on 27th March, one of the estimated 17 million victims of the influenza pandemic ..."

Available in local stockists (Tavistock/Plymouth) or buy online

"In a remarkable tribute to Tavistock's fallen heroes, two local historians have compiled detailed profiles of nearly 120 men whose ultimate sacrifice is recorded in a new book, appropriately called 'We Will Remember Them'."
Western Morning News, Jan. 13th 2004
... more reviews

Buy the book

Alex Mettler & Gerry Woodcock are the authors of this book. Both are active local historians.... more

Tavistock sits at the Western foot of Dartmoor, an ancient stannary town... more

Links to other local history and WW1 websites... more