Home Page

Captain
WILLIAM HENRY FOLKES
Royal Engineers

(formerly 29647 Foreman of Works Quartermaster Sergeant, R.E.)

 by
Lieutenant Colonel Edward De Santis
Ó 2017.  All Rights Reserved.  

The Medals of Captain William Henry Folkes, Royal Engineers.
(Photograph from the author's collection)

1.  INTRODUCTION

             This research into the life and military service of Captain William Henry Folkes, R.E. was undertaken because the author is in possession of Folkes’ military medals.  The medals were purchased in 1978, but at that time research sources,

 especially on the Internet, were very limited.  With the growth of the Internet and the increased availability of both civil and military records, now after almost 40 years it is possible to do justice to Captain Folkes’ service.

            Folkes served in the South African War of 1899 to 1902, in the Great War of 1914 to 1918 and he even served at home in England during the Second World War.  While researching his life and service it was found that his father had been a professional soldier, his two brothers had served in the Great War and his son had served in the World War 2.  His sister married a professional soldier and her father-in-law also had a career in the Army.  The family name of these latter two individuals was Dewey; hence, as the research progressed it appeared that it would actually become a narrative of the Folkes/Dewey families and their military service.

            The majority of information contained herein was obtained from the service papers of the men of the Folkes and Dewey families.  These papers were found to be available primarily through Ancestry.com and could be downloaded and printed directly from the Internet.  Thirteen pages were found for William Henry Folkes and his father Walter Folkes.  Thirty-eight pages of service papers were found for two members of the Dewey family.  Ancestry.com produced a veritable treasure trove of information!   Additionally, civil registers provided a great deal of information regarding the families and these also were found on Ancestry.com as well as fold3.com and findmypast.com.  The references and endnotes at the end of this work provide as detailed a listing as possible of the sources used to compile this narrative.

            The life and service of William Henry Folkes will be presented first, as he is the main character of this work.  Additional sections will then be presented to provide details of the service of the other members of the Folkes and Dewey families.

2.  EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

            William Henry Folkes was born in the second quarter of 1878 in the Parish of West Fordington,[1] near the town of Dorchester in the County of Dorset.  He was the first child of Walter Folkes and Emily Folkes (née) Hunt.  William was baptized on the 30^th of June 1878 by the Reverend W.C. Osborn in the parish church of West Fordington.  The date of his baptism, therefore, probably would put his birth sometime during the month of June 1878.  The 1881 Census of England provided the following information regarding the Folkes family.

Table 1. The 1881 Census at New Depot Barracks, Fordington, Dorset.

TABLE NOTES:

1. At the time of this census Walter Folkes was serving as a Colour Sergeant in the Dorsetshire Regiment.  He had been born in the Parish of Duckenfield, near the town of Ashton-under-Lyne in 1848.  In 1848 Ashton-under-Lyne was located in the county of Cheshire.
2. Emily Hunt was born in the Parish of Ganarew, Whitchurch, Herefordshire.
3. Reginald Walter Folkes and Ernest Walter Folkes were twins, born in the fourth quarter of 1879.  The middle names of the children were not shown on the census return, but they have been found in other documents during the course of this research.  It appears that since they were twins, their parents decided to give both of them the middle name Walter, after their father.

  Walter Folkes’ father, Henry Folkes, was a stone mason.  Emily Hunt’s father, William Hunt, was a carpenter.

            The New Depot Barracks at Fordington was the home of the Dorset Militia to which Walter Folkes was assigned during a portion of his time in the Army.

            The 1891 Census of England provided the following information regarding the Folkes family.

Table 2. The 1891 Census at Sherborne, Dorset.

 TABLE NOTE:

(*) Walter had left the Army by this time and was employed in a military-related role as a Drill Master at Sherborne School, an independent boys’ school, located in the town of Dorset.  Sherborne School has an old and illustrious history.  Many of its buildings date back as far as the 12th century.  The school only took on its form as a boys’ boarding school in the 19th century. This was thanks to the vision of the Reverend Hugo Daniel Harper, who was headmaster from 1850 to 1877.  In the years prior to this, Sherborne provided education for a handful of pupils. It was founded in the mid-16th century under the auspices of the monastery at Sherborne, and survived the Reformation to become established as a Free Grammar School during the 17th and 18th centuries.

               By 1901 only Walter (age 52) and Emily (age 52) were left in the household and were residing at 324 South Street in Sherborne, Dorset.  Living with them at the time was Fanny M. Bauchini (age 7), a niece, and one Joseph Crump (age 54), a boarder.  Walter’s occupation is shown as Sergeant Instructor of the Cadet Corps at Sherborne School.  The Sherborne School Cadet Corps was the first cadet organization in the school.  It had been formed in 1888 and was subsequently replaced by the Officers Training Corps (OTC) in 1909; therefore, Walter Folkes served in the original Cadet Corps and may have even served in the OTC for a while after it was formed.  

NOTE:  Today Sherborne School has a Combined Cadet Force (CCF).  The aim of the CCF is to provide a disciplined organization within the school so that boys develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self-reliance, resourcefulness, endurance and perseverance, as well as a sense of service to the community.  As they progress through the CCF, boys will run much of the training. They participate in a variety of military and adventurous activities aimed at developing teamwork and leadership. Examples of such activities include mountain biking, climbing, kayaking, sailing, shooting, field-craft, and much more.[2]

            The Folkes children by this time had gone out on their own to make their way in life.  William had already enlisted in the Royal Engineers in 1896.  The relationship of young Fanny, the niece, could not be determined during the research.  Her surname is rather unusual and may in fact not be accurate as noted here, as the script on the census form is very difficult to read.  Joseph Crump is shown on the census return as having been born in Bath, Somerset and is shown as having no occupation.  He, too, may have been a relative of either Walter or Emily.

            The house at 324 South Street in Sherborne was rather a plain two-story brick and mortar structure indicating that Walter’s economic situation was not all that good in 1901.  The house does not appear to be that large, so one wonders how Walter and Emily could have found room for themselves, a young girl and an adult boarder in such a small building.   One can imagine that an ex-soldier on pension working for a prestigious school like Sherborne probably did not earn much in the way of wages from the school so this was probably all he could afford.  The house is shown in the photograph below as the structure with the green door.

3.  MILITARY SERVICE

A.  Attestation

             William Henry Folkes attested as a Sapper for service in the Royal Engineers on the 4^th of January 1896 for a period of 12 years (7 years with the Colours and 5 years in the Reserve).[3]  On his attestation form he indicated the following:

• He was a British Subject.
• He was 18 years of age.
• He was a cabinet maker by trade.
• He had been residing in his father’s home prior to enlisting.
• He had been an apprentice for four years and was considered to be a “fair” cabinet maker.
• He was not married.
• He had never been sentenced or imprisoned by civil power.
• He was not a member of Her Majesty’s forces.
• He had never previously served in Her Majesty’s forces.
• He had never been found unfit to serve in Her Majesty’s forces.
• He was willing to be vaccinated or re-vaccinated (against small pox).
• He had been given notice of his enlistment by Sergeant Folkes, a Pensioner (presumably his father).
• At the time of his enlistment Folkes indicated that he was a member of the Church of England.

             William swore the Oath of Attestation at Dorchester.  His Certificate of Medical examination was issued there on the same date as his attestation and he was found fit for service in the Army by the Brigade Medical Officer.  His Certificate of Primary Military Examination also was issued at Dorchester on that date and he was certified as fit for service in the Royal Engineers by the Recruiting Officer, 39^th (Dorsetshire) Regimental District.

            On the 8^th of January 1896 Folkes’ enlistment was approved by the Colonel commanding the 39^th Regimental District.  He proceeded immediately to the School of Military Engineering for recruit training.[4] 

Table 3.  Physical Description of William Henry Folkes in 1896.[5]

          C.  Assignments and Campaign Service

(1)   Malta (1897-1899)

            On the 25^th of January 1897, following the completion of his recruit training, 29647 Sapper William Henry Folkes left England for service in Malta.  He had completed 1 year and 22 days of service by this time.  He was posted to the 42^nd Fortress Company,[6] Royal Engineers at St. Francis Barracks at Floriana, Malta.  The 42^nd Company had been posted to Malta in December of 1891 and at the time of Folkes’ arrival it consisted of 92 officers and men.[7]

            Sapper Folkes’ work in the 42^nd Company generally involved construction and maintenance of coastal defensive positions on the island in coordination with Royal Artillery units stationed there, as well as any general engineer work required by other military units on the island.

            Malta's fortifications were considered to be among the best examples of military architecture anywhere in the world. Major General Whitworth Porter, R.E., called Malta "the most powerful artificial fortress in the world" in his 1858 book A History of the Fortress of Malta.  In his 1893 book The Story of Malta, Maturin Murray Ballou wrote that "there is not a more complete system of fortifications extant, in any part of the world, than the cordon of defensive structures at Malta.  During Folkes’ period of service on Malta, a new series of fortifications were built to house breech-loading guns. These were Della Grazie Battery, Spinola Battery,[8] Garden Battery, Wolseley Battery, Pembroke Battery and Fort Benghisa. The latter was the last polygonal fort to be built in Malta.[9]

             While he was serving on Malta, Folkes was awarded Good Conduct Pay at the rate of 1d. (one penny per day) on the 4^th of January 1898.  On the 1^st of May 1898 he elected to come under the provisions of the Special Army Order dated 3 April 1898, the exact nature of which has been lost with time.  The 42^nd Company at this time consisted of 95 officers and men, one of whom was to become William’s brother-in-law, a 2^nd Corporal in the Royal Engineers by the name of Harry Jonathan Dewey.

            On the 18^th of September 1899 Sapper Folkes was awarded a 2^nd Class Certificate of Education[10] and a month later, on the 17^th of October 1899, the 42^nd Company left Malta to take part in the war in South Africa.  There were only 71 men in the company at the time, as there had been an outbreak of enteric fever at St. Francis Barracks at about this time.[11]  The outbreak of this disease appeared to have taken quite a toll on the company’s strength.  The unit would not be brought back to strength until sometime after arriving in South Africa.

(2)   South Africa (1899-1902)

            The 42^nd Fortress Company, under the command of Captain G.M. Kirkpatrick, was placed in support of Royal Engineers railway companies and was tasked primarily with railroad construction, maintenance and repair while serving in South Africa.  It performed these operations in the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State and in the Transvaal.

            While serving in South Africa, Folkes was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal and was shortly thereafter promoted to the rank of 2^nd Corporal.[12]  He remained in South Africa with the 42^nd Company until the 28^th of October 1902 when the company departed for home, bound for Portsmouth.  Folkes’ had served in South Africa for 3 years and 11 days and for his service he was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps [CAPE COLONY][ORANGE FREE STATE][TRANSVAAL] as well as the King’s South Africa Medal with clasps [SOUTH AFRICA 1901][SOUTH AFRICA 1902].[13]

(3)   Home Service (1902-1907)

            Folkes continued to serve with the 42^nd Company in the Aldershot, Portsmouth and Gravesend areas.  On the 4^th of November 1902 he extended his service to complete 12 years with the Colours.[14]  On the 16^th of November 1903, William’s sister Lilian Maud married 6129 Corporal Harry Jonathan Dewey, R.E. at the parish church in Sherborne, Dorset.[15]  Shortly thereafter, on the 11^th of January 1904, William married Frances Constance Callowhill, a spinster, at Gravesend, Kent.  He was placed on the married rolls on this date.[16]

                William Henry Folkes elected Service Pay under Army Order 68 of 1902 and began to draw Service Pay Class I at the rate of 7d.  Service Pay, in addition to their regular pay, was granted to men in the Royal Engineers who demonstrated proficiency in their military trades.  Service Pay was awarded in seven classes, with Class I being the highest.  When he received Class I Service Pay at this point in his military career it was an indication that he had performed his duties in a superior manner and that the Army had confidence in his continued outstanding performance.

            William and Frances had their first child, Kathleen Lily, at Portsmouth on the 1^st of November 1904.  On the 1^st of July 1905 William was promoted to the rank of Corporal.  His promotion and Service Pay surely was most welcomed so soon after his marriage and the birth of his first child.

            Folkes joined the Farnborough and North Camp Lodge of Freemasons[17] in 1906 while serving in the Aldershot area and he remained a member of the Lodge through 1909.  He was promoted to the rank of Foreman of Works Staff Sergeant on the 27^th of July 1906 and on the 20^th of December 1906 he re-engaged to complete 21 years of service with the Colours.[18]  The fact that he was promoted from Corporal directly to the rank of Staff Sergeant, skipping over the rank of Sergeant, was another indication of his military proficiency.  On the 25^th of March 1907 he was awarded a 1^st Class Certificate of Education.

(4)   Hong Kong (1907-1910)

Foreman of Works Staff Sergeant Folkes left Aldershot on the 29^th of October 1907 after serving 5 years and 1 day at Home.  His unit of assignment is not shown in his service papers; however, it is most likely that he was posted to the 25^th Fortress Company since that company had been in Hong Kong from 1900 to 1914.  While in Hong Kong his first period of limited engagement expired (on 4 January 1908) and on the 10^th of November of that same year he was rated by his commanding officer as a “Skilled” Foreman of Works.  He served for 3 years and 31 days in Hong Kong and departed for home on the 29^th of November 1910. 

(5)   Home Service (1910-1915)

Although his service records are vague on this point, it appears that he may have been assigned to a fortress company responsible for the South Western Coast Defences of England.  The 1911 Census of England shows that “Staff Sergeant” William H. Folkes, R.E. was a visitor in the home of one Henry Scott in London on the date of the census.  His brother Reginald also is listed as a visitor in this household on the date of the census.  William Folkes service papers show that on the 27^th of July 1912 he was promoted to the rank of Foreman of Works Quartermaster Sergeant (Warrant Officer Class II).  His service papers and the entry in the 1911 Census obviously do not agree; however, his military service papers are probably more accurate with regard to his rank at this time. 

In January of 1914, after 18 years of service, he was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with gratuity by Army Order 412 of 1914.

(6)   France & Flanders (1915-1918)

            After 4 years and 317 days serving at Bulford on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, QMS Folkes departed for France on the 12^th of October 1915.  As a senior non-commissioned officer he was posted to the headquarters of the British First Army Chief Engineer, Major General Spring Robert Rice,[19] with the Army under the command of Lieutenant General Sir Douglas Haig.  In addition to the divisional field companies in the First Army, the Royal Engineers organization within the First Army at the time consisted of the following units:

First Army Troops: 145th Army Troops Company

 I Corps Troops: 31st and 1/1^st  Hants Army Troops Companies

 IV Corps Troops: 25th and 138th Army Troops Companies

Indian Corps Troops: 1st Siege Company, Royal Anglesey R.E. (S.R.)[20] and 139th Army Troops Company.

In his position on the staff of the Army Chief Engineer, QMS Folkes would have a relatively close working relationship with these non-divisional engineer units.

            The battle of Loos (25 September – 13 October 1915) had just ended when Folkes arrived in France, but the First Army was to be engaged in many more actions while he was there.  The First Army did not see much action during 1916, but in the spring of 1917 it took part in the battle of Arras, making a secondary attack on Vimy Ridge.  In October of 1917 units of the First Army took part in the actions at Passchendaele and in November some units were involved in the battle of Cambrai.

            The First Army came into the general scheme of the final offensive of the war on the 26^th of August1918, when it began the battle of the Scarpe (26th to 30th August). On that date, the First Army consisted of: the Canadian Corps (4th and 51st British Divisions, and 1^st,   2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th Canadian Divisions); the XXII Corps; and the VIII (formerly the XVIII) Corps. The R.E. Order of Battle was as follows :

Canadian Corps

4th Division, C.R.E., Lieut.-Colonel C. R. Johnson, with 9^th, 406^th and 526th Field Companies.

51^st Division, C.R.E., Lieut.-Colonel N. W. Napier-Clavering, with 40^th, 401^st and 404^th  Field Companies.

XXII Corps (Chief Engineer, Brigadier-General A. E. Panet)

11th Division C.R.E., Lieut.-Colonel F. A. K. White, with 67^th, 68^th and 86^th Field Companies.

51st Division Transferred from Canadian Corps on 29^th August.

Corps Troops: 217^th Army Troops Company, 172^nd and 176th Tunnelling Companies.

VIII Corps (Chief Engineer, Brigadier-General H. G. Joly de Lotbiniere)

8th Division, C.R.E., Lieut.-Colonel C. M. Browne with 2^nd, 15^th and 490^th Field Companies.

Corps Troops: 282^nd, 290^th and 560^th Army Troops Companies, No.1 Siege Company R. Monmouthshire R.E., 185^th Tunnelling Company.

             During the offensive the First Army captured several villages and at the end of the month had cleared the area between the Scarpe and Sensée rivers as far as the Trinquis brook.  This was followed up by an assault on the Drocourt-Queant Line.  The next operation on the First Army front involved the crossing of the Canal du Nord, between the 27^th of September and the 1^st of October 1918.

            Elements of the First Army next took part in the Second Battle of Cambrai (8-9 October 1918).  On the 20th of October the First Army crossed the Selle north of Haspres. 

            During the time that the First Army was engaged in the actions described above, many things were happening in the life of QMS Folkes.  On the 8^th of August 1917 his wife gave birth to their son, Patrick Folkes, at Salisbury.  From the timing of the birth one can assume that Mrs. Folkes remained in the Salisbury (Bulford) area while her husband was in France.  One may also assume that he was on home leave sometime in November or December of 1917.

            On the 4^th of January 1918 Folkes was required to continue his service under the Military Service Act 27 of 1916.[21]  On the 28^th of March 1918 Folkes elected, under Army Order of 1918, to draw pension while still serving.[22] His service papers indicate that on this date he was serving with the headquarters of the British First Army. 

            Foreman of Works Quartermaster Sergeant William Henry Folkes was discharged from the ranks on the 7^th of May 1918 for the purpose of being appointed to a temporary commission as a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers.  His total service in the ranks on this date was reckoned at 22 years and 124 days and his service in France as of this date was 2 years and 207 days.  His commission was effective on this same date.[23]

            On the 17^th of June 1918 2^nd Lieutenant Folkes was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for valuable services in France. The London Gazette of this date published the award and he is shown as 29647 Foreman of Works Quartermaster Sergeant, R.E. when the award was presented. 

            After his commissioning, Folkes left the headquarters of the British First Army and was posted to the 929^th Area Employment Company of the Labour Corps.  Formed in January of 1917, the Labour Corps grew to some 389,900 men (more than 10% of the total size of the Army) by the date of the Armistice.  Of this total, around 175,000 were working in the United Kingdom and the rest in the theatres of war.  The Corps was manned by officers and other ranks who had been medically rated below the "A1" condition needed for front line service.  Many were returned wounded.  Labour Corps units were often deployed for work within range of the enemy guns, sometimes for lengthy periods.  In April of 1917, a number of infantry battalions were transferred to the Corps.  The Labour Corps absorbed the 28 Army Service Corps Labour Companies between February and June of 1917.  Labour Corps Area Employment Companies were formed in 1917 for salvage work, absorbing the Divisional Salvage Companies.[24]  Nothing in Folkes’ service papers indicates that he was posted to this unit because he had been wounded or that he was in anything but “A1” condition.  It appears that the 929^th Company simply needed officers, and he was available.  For his work with this unit Folkes received a mention in the despatches of Sir Douglas Haig (Despatch dated 16 March 1919).[25] 

            It appears that 2^nd Lieutenant Folkes returned home from France prior to Armistice Day, as there is an entry in his service papers indicating that he was credited with a deferred payment of £7.0.0. by the Paymaster at Brompton Barracks, Chatham, Kent.  It is known that he continued in the Army until at least the 1^st of March 1919 when he was appointed an Acting Captain (Adjutant).[26] It appears that William Henry Folkes relinquished his commission sometime during 1919, as he does not appear in the official Army List for 1920.

            It should be noted that Captain William Henry Folkes’ medal group, show in Section 6 below, contains the Defence Medal for service in the Second World War.  No trace of him could be found in any of the Army Lists for that period.  A search also was made in the Royal Engineers List of 1943.  He could not be found in any of the categories of Royal Engineers serving in that war.  This medal was awarded for three years of service in Great Britain until the 8^th of May 1945, or for six months of overseas service in territories subjected to or closely threatened by enemy air attacks.  In order for Folkes to have qualified for this medal he must have served in Great Britain from the 3^rd of September 1939 to the 8^th of May 1945, or overseas until the end of hostilities in the Pacific theatre of the war, the 15^th of August 1945.  Civil Defence Services in military operational areas subject to enemy air attack were included for eligibility for this medal, as were these services when they were employed in other areas of the Commonwealth or Colonial Empire, subject to comparable conditions.[27] 

            The Civil Defence Service was a civilian volunteer organisation established in Great Britain by the Home Office in 1935. In 1941, during World War II, the use of Civil Defence replaced the pre-existing Air Raid Precautions (ARP). The Civil Defence Service included the pre-existing ARP as well as wardens, firemen (initially the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) and latterly the National Fire Service (NFS)), fire watchers, rescue, first aid post, stretcher party and industry. Over 1.9 million people served within the CD and nearly 2,400 lost their lives to enemy action.

            Unfortunately there is no mention in his service papers specifically regarding the service for which he may have earned the Defence Medal.  He would have been 61 years old in 1939 when the war started, so the Civil Defence Services would appear to be where he could best have served in any of the positions listed in the paragraph above. 

            Part of the Civil Defence Service as described above involved participation in war-related industry.  This may be where William Henry Folkes served.  The Gloucestershire Echo of the 9^th of October 1943 published his death notice indicating that he had been the “managing director of Nissen Buildings Ltd., the firm which originated the design of the famous Nissen hut.”  This position, indeed, may have earned him the Defence Medal.

            The Nissen hut was a prefabricated steel structure, made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel. Originally designed during the First World War by the engineer and inventor Major Peter Norman Nissen, R.E,[28] it was used extensively during the Second World War for a multiplicity of uses.  It could be quickly manufactured, shipped and erected in areas where buildings were needed for troop quarters, storage warehouses, workshops and many other uses.

            It appears that William Henry Folkes practiced engineering after his military service and that he was prominent in the operations of Nissen Manufacturing, Ltd.  He may have been an industrial engineer, although no information has been uncovered during this research to indicate what he might have studied or if he attended any university.

            Folkes died at his home at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire on the 8^th of October 1943 at the age of 64.[29]  No location of his burial could be uncovered during this research.

            The following sections of this narrative describing the life and service of William Henry Folkes are provided to present in tabular form his promotions, appointments, training, qualifications and awards of medals.  These items are mentioned throughout the narrative, however it is hoped that by presenting them in tables the reader will be able to put them in perspective chronologically and that it will provide a good summary of his service.

4.  PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

A.  Promotions:  William Henry Folkes received the following promotions during his time in the Royal Engineers.

Table 4.  The Promotions of William Henry Folkes.

(*) It should be noted that he passed over the rank of Sergeant, probably due to his outstanding performance of duty.

 B. Appointments: William Henry Folkes received the following appointments during his time in service.

Table 5.  The Appointments of William Henry Folkes.

5. MILITARY TRAINING. EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

A.                Military Training: William Henry Folkes received the following military training during his time in service.

 Table 6.  The Military Training and Education of William Henry Folkes.

B.                 Qualifications:  William Henry Folkes earned the following qualifications during his time in service.

Table 7.  The Qualifications of William Henry Folkes.

6.  MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

             William Henry Folkes received the following medals, awards and decorations during his time in service, shown in the photograph below (from left to right):[30]

Table 8. The Medals of William Henry Folkes.

 7.  SUMMARY OF SERVICE

             William Henry Folkes’ total service was reckoned as shown in the table below.

 Table 9.  The Locations and Periods of Service of William Henry Folkes.

NOTE: His service in the table above does not include the time that he spent in World War 2, sufficient to earn the Defence Medal.

 8.  FOLKES FAMILY INFORMATION

A.    Walter Folkes (1848 – 1910)[36]

             Walter Folkes, the father of William Henry Folkes, was born in the Parish of Duckenfield, near the town of Ashton Under Lyne in the County of Cheshire in 1848.  He was the son of Henry Folkes, a stone mason.  William’s mother, Emily Hunt, was born in 1849 at Ganarew, Whitchurch, Herefordshire.  Her father was William Hunt, a carpenter.

            Walter attested as a Private, Regimental Number 1457, in the 64^th (2^nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot at Manchester on the 9^th of January 1866.[37]  The regiment at that time was commanded by Colonel Neville Hill Shuto.

            At the time of his enlistment Walter Folkes was 18 years of age.  His description on enlistment indicates that he was 5 feet 5½ inches tall and that he had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair.  His distinguishing marks included a scar on his right shoulder and a mole in the region of his heart.  He had a vaccination mark on his left arm.  Walter was a labourer and a member of the Church of England. 

            Private Folkes’ enlistment and medical certification were approved at Liverpool on the 17^th of January 1866 and he was posted to Ireland where his regiment was then serving.  He served in Ireland for a total of 1 year and 27 days and then moved to Malta with the regiment on the 5^th of February 1867, where he would serve for 5 years and 51 days.  In May of 1868 the command of the 64^th Regiment of Foot passed to Colonel Thomas de Courcy Hamilton, V.C.

            While serving on Malta Private Folkes was authorized Good Conduct Pay at 1d. on the 8^th of January 1871 and on the 29^th of August of that same year he was promoted to the rank of Corporal.  On the 28^th of March 1872 Corporal Folkes returned to Ireland with his regiment and served there for 2 years and 42 days.[39]

            Corporal Walter Folkes re-engaged at Limerick, Ireland on the 14^th of December 1872 to complete 21 years of service with the Colours and on the 8^th of January 1873 he was authorized Good Conduct Pay at 2d.

            On the 9^th of May 1874 Corporal Folkes moved to Scotland from Ireland with his regiment and served there for only 328 days.  While in Scotland he had some disciplinary problems.  He was tried by court martial on the 5^th of February 1875 for the rather serious crime of “indecent assault on a woman.”  Despite the severity of the charge he was found not guilty.  However from the 13^th to the 24^th of February 1875 he was placed under arrest for drunkenness and forfeited 1d. of his Good Conduct Pay.  On the 25^th of February he was tried for this latest infraction, found guilty and was reduced to the rank of Private.  One wonders what may have caused him to get so drunk that he had to be placed under arrest and penalized for his conduct.  A good guess might be that upon being found not guilty of an “indecent assault on a woman” he went out to celebrate his good fortune only to find himself in trouble once again.

            Private Folkes moved to England with his regiment on the 2^nd of April 1875 and would serve there in various postings for 13 years and 155 days.  He was promoted to the rank of Corporal on the 25^th of October 1875 and had his Good Conduct Pay at 2d. restored on the same date.  On the 12^th of April 1877 Walter Folkes was promoted to Sergeant.

            Sergeant Folkes married Emily Hunt in the parish church at Aldershot, Hampshire on the 22^nd of May 1877.  On the 23^rd of November of that year he was detached from his regiment for duty with the Dorsetshire Militia and was stationed at New Depot Barracks in Fordington, Dorset.  While serving with this unit he became entitled to receive Good Conduct Pay at 3d.

            On the 9^th of November 1878 Walter Folkes was promoted to the rank of Colour Sergeant with the Dorsetshire Militia.  Colour Sergeant Folkes was transferred to the 3^rd Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment on the 1^st of July 1881.  This transfer came about when the Dorsetshire Militia was redesignated as the 3^rd Battalion of the regiment.  He was entitled to Good Conduct Pay at 4d. on 21 January 1884.

              1457 Colour Sergeant Walter Folkes was transferred to the Dorset Rifle Volunteers on the 21^st of January 1887.  His total service on this date was reckoned at 22 years and 226 days.  During all of this time he had served in no campaigns and obviously he was never wounded in action.  According to his military records he “suffered no injuries in service” and “performed no act of gallant conduct.”  He received no campaign medals, but he did receive the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

            During his service he passed the course of musketry at Hythe in Kent and he had been awarded a 2^nd Class Certificate of Education.

            Walter Folkes was discharged from the Army at Dorchester.  Upon his discharge he indicated that his intended place of residence was Sherborne, Dorset.  Walter Folkes died in October 1910 at Ringwood, Hampshire.

B.     Reginald Walter Folkes (1879 - 1956)

            During the fourth quarter of 1879, Emily Folkes gave birth to twin boys in Dorchester; Reginald Walter and Ernest Walter.  Reginald Folkes enlisted in the Army to serve in the Great War.  He entered the Army as 17837 Private Reginald Walter Folkes, The Queen’s Regiment.  Although it is not known in which battalion of the regiment he served, he most probably was in one of the Territorial Force battalions.

            During the war he was transferred to The Royal Fusiliers (G/69686 Private), the “G” prefix on his regimental number indicating “General Service.”  He was later transferred to the 22^nd Battalion of the London Regiment (The Queen’s) (685351 Private).   The 22nd Battalion had been formed at White City[40] on the 11^th of September 1914 by the Mayor and Borough of Kensington.  In June of 1915 it came under the command of the 99th Brigade, 33rd Division.  The battalion landed at Boulogne in November of 1915 and on the 25^th of November 1915 it was transferred with the 99^th Brigade to the 2nd Division.

            The battalion was disbanded in France on the 3^rd of February 1918.  Since Private Folkes was not awarded the 1914-15 Star it must be assumed that he did not join the regiment in France until 1916.  He was demobilized after the war and was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal for his service.

               Reginald Walter Folkes died in 1956 and was buried in Parklawn Cemetery in Toronto, Canada.  His wife, Florence E. Greenep, predeceased him in 1951.

            The Civil Registration Marriage Index of England and Wales for the period from 1837 to 1915 shows that Florence Emma Greenep married Reginald Walter Folkes in Bristol, Gloucestershire in the 3^rd Quarter of 1903.  After their marriage they apparently emigrated to Canada, but not until after 1911.  The 1911 Census indicates that Reginald was residing in Wandsworth, London and that he was a visitor in the home of one Henry Scott, along with his brother William, on the date that he census was recorded for the Scott family.  Reginald is shown in the census as being married and working as an antique cabinet maker.  No information could be found to explain why Florence retained her maiden name of Greenep, as indicated on the Folkes gravestone below. 

C.    Ernest Walter Folkes (1879 – 1935)

             Ernest Walter Folkes also joined the Army to serve in the Great War on the 28^th of August 1914.  He enlisted early in the war and was a Private (regimental number 2582) in a Territorial Force battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment.  His regimental number later was changed to 240637.  Ernest went to France on the 29^th of March 1915.  Based on his date of arrival in France it appears the Ernest was serving in the 1/5^th Battalion of the regiment.

            The 1/5^th Battalion of the Gloucestershire regiment had been formed in Gloucester in August of 1914 as part of the South Midland Brigade of the South Midland Division.  The battalion moved on mobilization to the Isle of Wight and then to Swindon and Maldon in Essex where it arrived at the end of August 1914.  The battalion landed at Boulogne on the 29^th of March 1915, the date shown on Ernest Folkes’ Medal Index Card.[41]  On the 15^th of May 1915 the battalion became part of the 145^th Brigade, 48^th (South Midland) Division.  In November of 1917 it moved with the division to Italy and on the 11^th of September the battalion left the division and returned to France, where on the 17^th of September it was attached to the 75^th Brigade in the 25^th Division.

            Private Ernest Folkes was wounded in action and received the Silver War Badge (Badge Number B38595).

            The Silver War Badge Roll shows that 240637 Private Ernest Folkes was discharged from the Army on the 19^th of October 1918 because of wounds received.  His medal index card shows that he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his service.

               Ernest Walter Folkes died at Hammersmith, Middlesex in September of 1935.

 D.    Lilian Maud Folkes (1881 - ?)

            Lilian Maud Folkes was born in Sherborne, Dorset during the first quarter of 1881.  On the 16^th of November 1903 Lilian married 6129 Corporal Harry Jonathan Dewey, Royal Engineers at the parish church in Sherborne, Dorset where the Folkes family had been living since about 1901.  The Reverend W.H. Lyon presided over the ceremony and the marriage was witnessed by Walter Folkes and a Maggie Alice Simpson.  Now William Henry Folkes and Harry Jonathan Dewey had both served in the 42^nd Fortress Company on Malta and in South Africa.  There can be little doubt that Lilian met her future husband as a result of the friendship that the two men had while serving in the same company.  William surely introduced Harry to his sister after the men returned from the Boer War.
            The following is a list of the children of Harry and Lilian Folkes:

• Lily Charlotte, born on 1^st of April 1905 at Bristol.  No record could be found of her date or place of death.

·         Henry Walter, born on the 3^rd of April 1907 at Jersey on the Channel Islands.  No record could be found of his date or place of death.

·         Doris Helen, born on the 15^th of May 1908 at the Citadel in Cairo, Egypt.  No record could be found of her date or place of death.

·         Jack Samuel, born on the 14^th of February 1918 at Wimbeldon.  Jack Samuel Dewey died at Maidstone, Kent in May 2000.

E.     Patrick Folkes (1917 – 1940)

              Patrick Folkes, the son of William Henry and Frances Constance Folkes, was born at Salisbury on the 8^th of August 1917.  Patrick was granted a short service commission as an Acting Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force, on probation, on the 7^th of September 1936.[42]  He was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer on the 13^th of March 1939.[43]  Patrick was assigned to 43 (Fighter) Squadron, R.A.F.

            In 1939 43 Squadron operated Hurricanes from R.A.F. Tangmere, covering the Dunkirk retreat and fighting in the Battle of Britain, during which the Squadron was credited with 60 kills.  43 Squadron spent the early months of the Second World War flying defensive patrols in the north of England and Scotland, but moved south to take part in the fighting over Dunkirk.  Up to the date that Patrick Folkes was killed, he was stationed at the following locations:

At Tangmere, West Sussex from December 1926 to November 1939.

At Aclington, Lancashire from November 1939 to February 1940.

At Wick, West Sussex from February 1940 to 16 April 1940, the day of his death.

            Flying Officer Patrick Folkes, RAF 39076, went missing in the English Channel on the 16^th of April 1940 while flying cover for a convoy during the evacuation of Dunkirk.  He was the only man of the squadron listed as lost on that day.  According to Jimmy Beedle in his book The Fighting Cocks: 43 (Fighter) Squadron:

“Flying Officer Patrick “Tiger” Folkes was dead, killed when his Hurricane crashed into the sea on convoy patrol leaving only a map, a piece of wood and a patch of oil for the destroyer that raced to the scene to find.”

Based on this comment in Beedle’s book, it appears that Folkes went missing and then was presumed dead.  Patrick is remembered with honour by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on Panel 5 of the Runnymede Memorial,
 Englefield Green, Runnymede Borough in Surrey.

 9. DEWEY FAMILY INFORMATION

            When Lilian Maud Folkes married she introduced two additional soldiers into the family; namely, her husband Harry Jonathan Dewey and his father Samuel Henry Dewey.

A.       Samuel Henry Dewey (1836 - ?)

            Samuel Henry Dewey was born in the Parish of St. Margaret’s near the Town of London in the County of Middlesex in 1836.  On the 5^th of March 1853 Samuel enrolled to serve in the 4^th Royal Middlesex Militia as a Private, Regimental Number 1706.[44]  On the 16^th of March 1855 he attested at Gosport, Hampshire as a Private in the 2^nd Battalion of The Rifle Brigade.  This enlistment in The Rifle Brigade required that he be released from militia service as a condition of his enlisting in Her Majesty’s regular forces.  This was accomplished on the 21^st of March.

          On the 23^rd of April 1855 Private Dewey was authorized to transfer to the Coldstream Guards (Regimental Number 5475) in accordance with instructions issued by the Horse Guards (War Office).  His transfer to the Guards was completed on the 1^st of March 1855.  The Coldstream Guards had served in the Crimean War during 1854 and 1855, but there is no indication in his records that Dewey served in that war.  It is likely that he remained in England during the war.

            Private Dewey was promoted to the rank of Corporal on the 2^nd of June 1856.  He was authorized Good Conduct Pay at 1d. on the 1^st of March 1860 and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on the 23^rd of May of that same year.

            On the 26^th of December 1863 Sergeant Dewey was confined, tried and found guilty for being drunk (presumably while on duty).  He was reduced to the rank of Corporal and forfeited his Good Conduct Pay; however, on the 1^st of January 1864 his sentence was remitted and he was returned to the rank of Sergeant and awarded Good Conduct Pay at the rate of 2d.  Unfortunately his records do not provide details as to why his sentence was remitted or why he was awarded additional Good Conduct Pay when his rank was restored.  One can only assume that higher authority thought that the charges against him were unfounded or unreasonable and that he had been unduly penalized.[45]             

            Sergeant Dewey re-engaged at London on the 15^th of December 1864 for eleven years of additional service with the Colours and on the 24^th of December 1866 he was promoted to the rank of Colour Sergeant.

            On the 22^nd of March 1868 Colour Sergeant Dewey was entitled to Good Conduct pay at 3d.  However, due to the regulations regarding Good Conduct Pay, Dewey would not collect the additional penny per day as it was only paid to soldiers holding the rank of Corporal or below.

            In 1871 Colour Sergeant Dewey was serving in London with his regiment.  His wife Charlotte gave birth to their son Harry Jonathan Dewey in the Parish of Chelsea on the 29^th of September 1871.  Harry would subsequently serve with William Henry Folkes and marry Folkes’ sister Lilian.  Harry’s story will be told in the following section of this narrative.

            On the 22^nd of March 1873 Colour Sergeant Dewey was entitled to Good Conduct Pay at 4d. with the restriction on payment as previously described.  He subsequently was entitled to Good Conduct Pay at 5d. on the 1^st of January 1878, subject to the same restriction.

            On the 27^th of August 1878 a Regimental Board was convened to consider the discharge of 5475 Colour Sergeant Samuel Henry Dewey, Coldstream Guards on the completion of his second term of limited engagement.  His total service on that date was reckoned at 23 years and 165 days, with 23 years and 159 days towards Good Conduct Pay and pension.  It is interesting to note that he lost seven days towards his pension.  These days  had to be for the seven days “bad time” that he accrued from 26 December 1863 to 1 January 1864 for being drunk.  However, after being tried and convicted, reduced in grade and losing 1d. of his Good Conduct Pay, his sentence was remitted and his rank and pay restored.  It seems unfair that he had to lose seven days towards his pension when he was exonerated of the charges.  The British Army during the Victorian period sometimes worked in strange and mysterious ways when it came to paying soldiers. 

            The Regimental Board made the following comments regarding Colour Sergeant Dewey’s service:

·         His character was noted to be “very good.”

·         “He was, when promoted in possession of one Good Conduct Badge and would, had he not been promoted, have now been in possession of five.”

 ·         “He is in possession of a medal for Long Service and Good Conduct with a gratuity of £5.

·          He was “once entered in the regimental defaulter’s book.”[47]

·          He was “once tried by court martial.”

            Colour Sergeant was discharged from the Coldstream Guards at Windsor on the 10^th of September 1878.  His total service as of the date of this discharge was reckoned at 23 years and 179 days, with him having served an additional 14 days after the Regimental Board had convened.

His description on discharge was as follows:

·         Age: 42 years and 5 months

·         Height: 5 feet 10 inches (this was the minimum height for a Guardsman during the Victorian period.  

·         Complexion: Sallow

·         Eyes: Hazel

·         Distinctive marks: None

·         Trade: Porter

·         Intended place of residence: Windsor

B.     Harry Jonathan Dewey (1871 – 1935)[48]

             Harry Jonathan Dewey was born in the Parish of Chelsea, near the Town of London, in the County of Middlesex on the 29^th of September 1871.  Harry lived in his father’s home until 1891 when he enlisted in the Royal Engineers.  Prior to his enlistment he worked as a carver, gilder and decorator and was an Apprentice from August of 1885 to August of 1891.

(1)   Attestation

             Harry Jonathan Dewey attested as a Sapper for service in the Royal Engineers at London on the 29^th of August 1891.  On his attestation form he indicated the following:

• He was a British Subject.
• He was 18 years and 11 months of age.
• He was not married.
• He had never been sentenced or imprisoned by civil power.
• He was not a member of Her Majesty’s forces.
• He had never previously served in Her Majesty’s forces.
• He had never been found unfit to serve in Her Majesty’s forces.
• He was willing to be vaccinated or re-vaccinated (against small pox).
• He had been given notice of his enlistment by a Colour Sergeant Gary.

             Harry swore the Oath of Attestation at London.  His Certificate of Medical examination had been issued at St. George’s Barracks on the 26^th of August 1891 and he was found fit for service in the Army.  His Certificate of Primary Military Examination also was issued at London he was certified as fit for service in the Royal Engineers by a Staff Captain at St. George’s Barracks.

            On the 29^th of August 1891 Dewey’s enlistment was approved by Lieutenant Colonel F. C. Turner for the Adjutant General for Recruiting, also at St. George’s Barracks, declaring him fit for service in the Royal Engineers.  He proceeded on the 1^st of September to the School of Military Engineering at Chatham, Kent for recruit training as a Sapper, Regimental Number 26023. 

(2)   Physical Description

Table 10.  Physical Description of Harry Jonathan Dewey

At the time of his enlistment, Dewey indicated that he was a member of the Church of England.

(3)   Assignments and Campaign Service

(a)   Home Service (1891 – 1900)

            While at the School of Military Engineering, Sapper Harry Dewey was awarded a 3^rd Class Certificate of Education on the 29^th of March 1892.  On the 22^nd of September of that year he was posted to the Balloon School at Aldershot.

  Sapper Dewey completed the course in Ballooning on the 3^rd of May 1893 and was awarded a certificate indicating that he was a “Skilled” balloonist.  On the 29^th of August of that year he was awarded Good Conduct Pay at 1d.

            Sapper Dewey was appointed a Lance Corporal on the 2^nd of January 1895.  He was admitted to hospital at Aldershot with diphtheria on the 17^th of September 1895 and was not discharged from hospital until the 14^th of October.

            Lance Corporal Dewey was promoted to the rank of 2^nd Corporal on the 1^st of June 1897 and was transferred to Okehampton on the 25^th of August of that year.[49]  He remained at Okehampton until the 6^th of June 1898 when he was transferred to Lydd.[50]  He was awarded a 2^nd Class Certificate of Education on the 21^st of June 1898 and on the 6^th of August 1898 he returned to Aldershot.

            By August of 1898 Dewey apparently had had enough of Army life.  On the expiration of his first term of limited engagement he was transferred to the First Class Army Reserve on the 28^th of that month.  His time out of uniform would be short-lived however, as trouble was brewing in South Africa which would require an expansion of the Army.  On the 26^th of December 1899 2^nd Corporal Dewey was recalled to the Colours under Special Army Order of 20 December 1899.  He was quickly promoted to the rank of Corporal on the 1^st of February 1900 and was on his way to the seat of the war in South Africa by the 29^th of March 1900. 

(b)   South Africa (1900 – 1902)

Upon his arrival in South Africa Corporal Dewey was posted to the 42^nd Fortress Company where he met his future brother-in-law, William Henry Folkes.  He served in the 42^nd Fortress Company for the duration of his time in South Africa and on the 13^th of March 1902 he extended his service to complete 12 years with the Colours.  Both Dewey and Folkes departed South Africa with their company on the 28^th of October 1902 and for his service during the war, he too was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps [CAPE COLONY][ORANGE FREE STATE][TRANSVAAL] and the King’s South Africa Medal with clasps [SOUTH AFRICA 1901][SOUTH AFRICA 1902].[51]

(c)     Home Service (1902 – 1907)

            When Corporal Dewey returned to England from South Africa he was posted to Portsea where he re-engaged to complete 21 years with the Colours on the 18^th of March 1903.  On the 27^th of October of that year he was awarded a 1^st Class Certificate of Education.

            Dewey was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on the 1^st of October 1904 and he qualified as a “Skilled” Foreman of Works that December.

(d)   Egypt (1907 – 1912)

            Sergeant Dewey was posted to Egypt accompanied by his family, arriving in Cairo on the 21^st of August 1907.  On the 20^th of September 1908 he was promoted to the rank of Foreman of Works Staff Sergeant.  The unit to which he was assigned in Egypt is not noted in his service records, but he must have spent some time in the field away from Cairo.  He was admitted to hospital with sand fly fever on the 5^th of September 1910.[52]  After suffering for about a week with the unpleasant effects of this fever, Dewey was released to duty on the 12^th. 

            Dewey was promoted to the rank of Foreman of Works Quartermaster Sergeant on the 20^th of September 1911 and on the 1^st of November of that year he was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct medal with gratuity, having completed 18 years of service on the 29^th of August.  Dewey and his family returned home from Egypt on the 19^th of April 1912 after he had completed 4 years and 259 days abroad.

(e)      Discharge from the Army (1912)

            26023 Foreman of Works Quartermaster Sergeant Harry Jonathan Dewey, R.E. was discharged on the termination of his second period of Limited engagement on the 28^th of August 1912.  Upon his discharge he and his family took up residence at 49 James Street in Gillingham, Kent.

            Dewey’s service papers at the time of his discharge indicated that his conduct had been “Exemplary” and that he was a “Skilled” Printer.  The papers also showed that he had become a member of the Masons Brownrigg Lodge of Unity in Old Brompton in 1910.  In fact he continued his membership in this lodge until he was recalled in 1915 for service in the Great War.  The following was his description on discharge from the Army.

Table 11.  Description of Harry Jonathan Dewey on His Discharge in 1912.  

 NOTE: The description of his “Figure” as “Military” is rather interesting.  It is certainly meant to connote a military bearing rather than the slouching bearing often displayed by civilians.  Victorian often could discern whether a man had served in the military simply by the way he held himself.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle suggests this in a number of his Sherlock Holmes stories when Holmes describes a man as being an ex-soldier simply by his bearing.

             The day following his discharge Dewey began to receive a lifetime pension of 24 pence per diem to be paid from the funds of the Chatham District.  On the 5^th of September 1912 his pension was verified by the Assistant Secretary of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.

(f)      Recalled to the Colours (1915 – 1920)

            The Army was not yet finished with Harry Jonathan Dewey and the Great War of 1914 to 1918 caused him to be recalled for service.  On the 15^th of April 1915 Dewey rejoined the forces for service during the duration of the war.  He attested at Canterbury, Kent but not in the Royal Engineers.  He rejoined as a Quartermaster Sergeant, Regimental Number G/6129, in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment).

            Harry was 43 years and 227 days old when he joined the regiment at Chatham.  His address at the time is shown as 27 St. George’s Road, Gillingham, Kent, where he was living with his wife Lilian Maud Dewey.

            Dewey was described on his enlistment as being 5 feet 8½ inches tall with a full-expanded chest measurement of 38 inches and a range of chest expansion of 2½ inches.

            Because of his prior service and rank in the Royal Engineers it was not long before Harry received his first promotion in The Buffs.  This happened on the 14^th of July 1915 when he was appointed a Warrant Officer Class I.  He also was appointed to be a Clerk under the conditions of War Office letter 35, No. 1430, dated 25 February 1915.  His appointment to home-service administrative duties is not surprising as he was not an infantryman and his age would have precluded him being assigned to active service in France or some other theatre of the war.

            On the 15^th of March 1919 Sergeant Major (Warrant Officer Class I) Harry Jonathan Dewey was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.[53]  His service papers show that in November of 1919 he was living at 107 Haydon Park Road in Wimbledon while he was still serving in the Army.  This was a larger and more upscale structure than any of those in which Harry and Lilian had previously lived.  However, about a year later they were back in a more humble building.  One wonders if the address in Wimbledon had been a boarding house at the time that they were living in it.

            Sergeant Major Dewey continued to serve in the East Kent Regiment into 1920.  On the 27^th of February of that year he appeared at Chatham with a claim to be suffering from varicose veins through long hours at work in the South African War during the years 1900 to 1902.  His residence when he made this claim was 81 Canterbury Street in Gillingham, Kent.

            On the 21^st of April 1920 his discharge from the Army began to be processed.  His Regimental Conduct Sheet indicated no record of his having incurred any regimental entry during his time with The Buffs.  On the 30^th of April he was discharged from the Army on demobilization.  The day following his discharge he initiated a disability claim for an ailment incurred while in the Army.  He was granted a First Award with a weekly allowance for his varicose veins.  On the 26^th of June 1920 he was designated as less than 20 percent disabled.  This was a revision of his First Award.  The Department of Medical Services rejected any further award of disability for him on the 31^st of July 1920.  No Medal Index Card could be found for Harry Dewey to indicate that he received any medals for service during the Great War.

            Sergeant Major Harry Jonathan Dewey died on the 11^th of July 1935.  His residence at the time was 30 St. George’s Road in Gillingham.

             Dewey’s will was probated at the Royal Engineers Office in Chatham.  His beneficiary was his wife, Lilian Maud.  His effects amounted to £519 17s 10d.  Jack Samuel Dewey, the son of Harry and Lilian, died at Maidstone, Kent in May 2000.

(4) Summary of Service

(a)  Promotions: 

Table 12.  The Rank and Promotions of Harry Jonathan Dewey.

(b) Appointments:

Table 13.  The Appointments of Harry Jonathan Dewey.

 (c)   Military Training and Education:

Table 14.  The Military Training and Education of Harry Jonathan Dewey.

 (d) Qualifications: 

Table 15.  The Qualifications of Harry Jonathan Dewey.

 (e)   Conduct: 

Table 16. The Conduct of Harry Jonathan Dewey.

 (f)   Medals, Awards and Decorations

      Harry Jonathan Dewey received the following medals, awards and decorations during his time in service, shown in the photograph below (from left to right):[54]

Table 17.  The Medals and Awards of Harry Jonathan Dewey.

(g)  Period of Service

             Harry Jonathan Dewey’s  total service was reckoned as shown in the table below:

Table 18. The Period of Service of Harry Jonathan Dewey.

APPENDIX (Photographs and Maps)  

The Figures in the Appendix illustrate many of the people, places and things mentioned in the narrative regarding both the Folkes and Dewey families.

Figure 1.         New Depot Barracks, Fordington, Dorset
Figure 2.         Sherborne School, circa 1881
Figure 3.         Emily Folkes (née Hunt)
Figure 4.         The Folkes House at 324 South Street, Dorset
Figure 5.         The Garden Battery, Malta
Figure 6.         The Seat of the War in South Africa, 1899-1902
Figure 7.         Major General S.R. Rice, British First Army Chief Engineer
Figure 8.         Insignia of the U.K. Civil Defence Service
Figure 9.         A Nissen Hut in the Field During World War 2
Figure 10.       The Medals of Captain William Henry Folkes, R.E
Figure 11.       The Medal Index Card of Captain William Henry Folkes, R.E
Figure 12.       The Helmet Plate of the 64th Regiment of Foot
Figure 13.       Colonel Thomas de Courcy Hamilton, V.C.
Figure 14.       4150 Colour Sergeant Thomas Knightly, Dorsetshire Regiment
Figure 15.       The Victorian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Figure 16.       Cap Badge of The Queen’s Regiment
Figure 17.       Cap Badge of The Royal Fusiliers
Figure 18.       The Medal Index Card of Private Reginald Walter Folkes
Figure 19.       The Gravestone of Reginald Walter Folkes and His Wife
Figure 20.       Silver War Badge Roll of the Gloucestershire Regiment
Figure 21.       The Cap Badge of the Gloucestershire Regiment
Figure 22.       The Medal Index Card of Private Ernest Walter Folkes
Figure 23.       The Insignia of 43 (Fighter) Squadron, Royal Air Force
Figure 24.       Hawker Hurricane, the Type of Aircraft Flown by Patrick Folkes
Figure 25.       Pilots of 43 Squadron, April 1940
Figure 26.       The Air Forces Memorial at Runnymeade, Surrey
Figure 27.       Badge of the Rifle Brigade
Figure 28.       Badge of the Coldstream Guards
Figure 29.       A Coldstream Guardsman, circa 1855
Figure 30.       A Colour Sergeant in the Coldstream Guards
Figure 31.       Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Men at the Balloon School
Figure 32.       The Dewey Residence at 49 James Street, Gillingham, Kent
Figure 33.       Cap Badge of The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
Figure 34.       The Dewey House at 27 St. George’s Road, Gillingham, Kent
Figure 35.       The Dewey Residence at 107 Haydon Park Road in Wimbeldon
Figure 36.       The Dewey Residence at 81 Canterbury Street, Gillingham, Kent
Figure 37.       The Dewey Residence at 30 St. George’s Road, Gillingham, Kent

REFERENCES

 Army Lists

1.      Army List, July 1905.

2.      Army List, August 1914.

3.      Army List, 1919.

 Books

 1.      BALL, R.W.D.  British Army Campaign Medals, Antique Traders Books, Dubuque, Iowa, 1996, p. 124.

2.    BEEDLE, Jimmy.  The Fighting Cocks: 43 (Fighter) Squadron.  Pen & Sword, Barnsley, 2011.

3.      CHICHESTER, H.M. and BURGESS-SHORT, G.  Records and Badges of the British Army.

4.    GRIERSON, J.M. Scarlet Into Khaki: The British Army on the Eve of the Boer War. Greenhill Books, London, 1988, p. 227.

5.    LARIMORE, F., Rules for Awarding Good Conduct Badges., Philadelphia, 2003.

6.    WATSON, C.M.  The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Volume III.  The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1954, pp. 28, 38, 40, 81, 105, 106 and 114

Census Data

1.      1881 England Census

2.      1891 England Census

3.   1901 Census of England.