Britain entered the First World War on 4 August 1914. Immediately reservist soldiers in Bridgwater were called up to fight in France, while territorial units were sent overseas for garrison duties. Thousands of local men volunteered, taking the chance to leave behind the drudgery of the brickyards for the chance of adventure. Many would not return. Around one in five Bridgwater men served in the forces, while around one in twenty would die. The roll of honour drawn up at the end of the war totalled around 308 men killed from the town. Bridgwater men served in almost every theatre of the war, including the Western Front, the Balkans, Palestine, Africa and at sea. The war ended on the 11 November 1918.
Names and brief biographies of Bridgwater Servicemen remembered on the town’s war memorials. Compiled by Brian Dyer.
Also see our War Memorials Page
Links
Biographies of those remembered in the Wembdon Road Cemetery – here 56 Bridgwater servicemen are remembered.
The Blake Museum’s Resource Page on the Great War and Bridgwater, which includes catalogues of articles in the Bridgwater Mercury through the war.
Video on James Adams and the Battle of the Falklands, 1914.
The Festival of Remembrance 1936
