20 Names, 20 Lives! The Search Begins

The St. Kitts War Memorial has twenty names listed on a brass plaque commemorating those who lost their lives during the First World War 1914-1918. At the moment they are just names but they were living breathing people who were sons, brothers, uncles and husbands. So who were these men:

First stop the Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site. http://www.cwgc.org

Established in May 1917 as the Imperial War Graves Commission it holds the burial and memorial records of 1.69 deceased Commonwealth military service personnel. They also manage and maintain over 23,000 burial sites in approximately 2,500 cemeteries and over 200 memorials in a total of 150 countries.

The names listed in the CWGC database have varying degrees of information e.g. forname(s) could be in full or just initials. Additional information regarding place of birth and next of kin might or might not be included.

The bracketed number below refers to the name placing on the War Memorial plaque. Having reviewed the names:

Definite identification:

(1) Joseph Cephas, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Died 10/03/1919. Buried: Magdelan Hill Cemetery  Winchester England.
Son of Mrs Rebecca Carey, Mansions Village, St. Kitts.

(5) H. D. (Harrington Douty) Edwards. D.S.O. Royal Navy. Missing presumed dead 11/03/1916. Memorial: Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire, England.
Eldest son of a District Medical Officer in Antigua. He is also recorded as having been awarded a D.S.O. - Distinguished Service Order medal.

(9) James L. E. R. Lake, Border Regiment. Died 24/08/1915. Buried Eas Mudros Military Cemetery, Limnos Island, Greece.
Son of James Louis Engelbert Lake and Henrietta Theresa Lake, of Church St., St. John's, Antigua, British West Indies.

(11) Joseph A. McKoy, British West Indies Regiment. Died 16/10/1918. Buried Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.
No additional information listed regarding relatives or place of birth.

(14) Donald (Joseph) Patrice. British West Indies Regiment. Died 15/03/1919. Buried Alexandria (Hadra) Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.
Son of Alexander Patrice and Alice Nicholas, his wife, of Roseau, Dominica, British West Indies.

(15) Edward Hope Ross, Middlesex regiment. Died 01/07/1916. Missing presumed dead. Memorial Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. D. Hope Ross, of Port of Spain, Trinidad, British West Indies.

(20) Robert L(awrence) Woolward. British West Indies Regiment. Died 10/09/1918. Buried Alexandria (Hadra) Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.
Son of Robert Tapley Woolward and Mary Evangeline Thomas (his wife) of St. Kitts, British West Indies.

Probable identification:

(2) James Daniel, Britis West Indies Regiment. Died 09/01/1917. Buried: Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.
The only James or J. Daniel listed with a West Indian connection - his regiment.  

(4) Donald Edwards, M.C., 45th Squadron, Royal Flying Corp. Died 06/04/1917. Buried: Tournai Communal Cemetery Allied Extension, Hainaut, Belgium.
His wife is noted as living in London, England. He is the only Donald or D. Edwards listed with an M.C. Military Cross.

(19) Richard T(heophilus) White. British West Indies Regiment. Died 30/09/1918. Buried: Ismailia War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.
Son of Charles and Jane Davis White, of Antigua, British West Indies.


Unable To Identify:

(3) Arthur Dickenson: 6 x A. or Arthur Dickenson's, all with no additional information pointing to a connection with St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla.
  (6) John Foreman. 9 x J. or John Foreman's, all with no additional information pointing to a connection with St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla.

(7) Edmund Gordon 9 x E. or Edmund Gordon's, all with no additional information pointing to a connection with St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla

(8) Hywel Herbert Jones. The name of Jones produces many results and there was no information pointing to a connection with St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla.#

(10) Joseph A. Lewis. The name of Joseph Lewis produces many results and there was no information pointing to a connection with St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla.

(12) Edward Mills. Many E. or Edward Mills', all with no additional information pointing to a connection with St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla.

(13) Herbert Mitchell.  Many H. or Herbert Mitchell's', all with no additional information pointing to a connection with St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla.

(16) Horace Veira. No record on the CWGC site.

(17) Ivor Wakefield. No record on the CWGC site.

(18) William C. Wattley. No record on the CWGC site.

I think this will be a challenge! Next database to look at Soldiers and Officers who Died in the Great War.