General Discussion

News about the next opportunity to join in remembrance of a Dawlish serviceman that lost his life during World War One.

Private Frederick W Bond, of the 1st Wessex Ambulance Company will be remembered on Saturday 23rd May 2015 at the Methodist Church, commencing at 12 noon.

Private Fred Bond was the first Dawlish territorial to die in the war, aged just 20. 

Brought up in Dawlish, he is known to have lived at various times in Manor Row and Old Town Street.  By 1911 he was working as an apprentice plumber.

He enlisted at Teignmouth in the Royal Army Medical Corps on 5th November 1914.

Local newspapers reported at the time of his death that:

“ He was badly wounded in the left arm by shrapnel ten weeks ago. There was every hope at first of his making a good recovery, although he might never had the full use of his arm again, but a little over a week ago tetanus set in. He was removed by motor from a hospital at Birmingham to one at Coventry. There he rallied somewhat, and when seen by his mother and sister towards the end of the week was bright and cheerful and able to speak to them. On Sunday, however, he was suddenly taken worse and died in a few hours.”

Private Bond is buried in Dawlish cemetery

If you have family with connections to any of the servicemen listed on the Town War Memorial, the Dawlish WW1 project will be glad to make contact. Please email me Bob Vickery to bobdawlish@gmail.com

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