Name
Hedley Handscombe
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Pirton School Memorial
Biography
Hedley appears on the School War Memorial, confirming that he attended the school. Parish and census records suggest only one man of this name who could have served, and he was born on January 19th 1900 to George and Martha Handscombe (née Dawson). In all it would appear that four brothers served. Charles and Hedley survived, Frank and Joseph were killed - refer to Charles Handscombe for more family details.
Hedley lived with his parents and siblings in a thatched cottage set back from Shillington Road, which was near to the present number fifteen. Baptism and census records list ten children, including Bertie (b c1879), Frisby (b c1881), Charles (bapt 1884), Jane (b 1885), Frederick (b 1888), Emma (b 1890), Sidney (b 1891), Frank (b 1893), Joseph (b 1896) and Hedley (b 1900). At least four sons served; Hedley, Charles, Frank and Joseph. Both Frank and Joseph were killed.
Hedley is recorded in the Parish Magazine of November 1918 as recently enlisting; he would have been about eighteen.
It appears that, after the war, he married and his wife was called Zilah. Together they had at least one child, Frances Rose, who was born April 23rd 1925. A photograph taken during the Second World War shows Hedley serving in the Pirton and Holwell Homeguard.
Additional Information
Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission
Acknowledgments
Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission.
