DevonMMWtoZ

In a war in which every man was a hero, the men named below did some deed which raised them above the rest. Many repeated their heroism hence the awarding of a Bar to their original medal - some men acquired two Bars but only one - an Australian - ever earned three Bars. Only when the award had been personally approved by the King and announced in the London Gazette (i.e."gazetted") did an award become official and this could take several months. This was generally linked to other rewards such as promotion or additional pay.

Most citations have been lost and we shall never know what the majority of these Devon men did. In various parts of the country however, a few citations survive. We include a random selection in pages of the index so that searchers may judge for themselves the special qualities of the men listed on these pages:

Award to a Corporal in the Canadian Force

" On August 9th 1918, in an attack on Rouvroy, this N.C.O, owing to his officer and sergeant becoming casualties, took charge of the platoon and handled it with great skill. By crawling forward, he located the enemy machine-guns, and by skilful employment of |Lewis - gun fire put them out of action."

DEVON'S MILITARY MEDAL RECIPIENTS 1916 - 1920

W - Z

WAKEHAM, C	8868 Lance Corporal Charles Walter Wakeham of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Susan Wakeham (w?). Born in Paignton in the December Quarter of 1893. Military Medal gazetted 12 July 1918.
WALTERS, E	51434 Sergeant Ernest Alfred Walters of the Royal Field Artillery. Son of Jonathan and Hannah Walters of Dartmouth. Born in Dartmouth in the September Quarter of 1888. Military Medal gazetted 23 October 1918.
WALTERS, E	51434 Sergeant Ernest Roger Walters of the Royal Field Artillery. Son of Henry and Kathleen Walters. Born in Plymouth in the June Quarter of 1891. Military Medal gazetted 21 October 1918.
WARE, T	8454 Lance Corporal Thomas Henry L. Ware of the Machine Gun Corps (he was a Reservist who was previously a private in the Coldstream Guards). Son of John and Maria Ware. Born in Ottery St. Mary in the March Quarter of 1891. Military Medal gazetted 21 January 1918.
WARNE, W	51434 Private William Thomas Warne of the Royal West Kent Regiment. Son of Thomas and Minnie Warne. Born in Torquay in the September Quarter of 1893. Military Medal gazetted 23 October 1918.
WARREN, W	241182 Private Walter Edward P. Warren of the 5th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Edward and Anna Warren. Born in Dawlish in the June Quarter of 1893. Military Medal gazetted 13 May 1919.
WATTS, C	21819 Corporal Charles F. Watts of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Joshua and Grace Watts. Born in an area of Dartmoor known as Okehampton Hamlets in 1887. Military Medal gazetted 13 September 1918.
WAY, W	13258 Sergeant William Way of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of William and Mary Ann Way (née Land). Born in Halberton in the December Quarter of 1892. Military Medal gazetted 11 January 1918.
WAYBURN, J	8886 Sergeant John Matthew Wayburn of the 8th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Fred and Lucy Wayburn. Born in Lynton in 1891. Military Medal gazetted 28 January 1918; Bar gazetted 13 June 1919.
WEBBER, M	23925 Corporal Mark George Webber of the 1st Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Richard and Jane Webber. Born in Nymet Rowland in the December Quarter of 1885. Military Medal gazetted 7 February 1919.
WEBBER, R	39777 Sergeant Richard Webber of the Worcestershire Regiment. Son of Richard and Eliza Webber. Born in Exeter in the June Quarter of 1890. Military Medal gazetted 21 October 1918.
WEBBER, W	9347 Private William Charles Webber of the 2nd Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Charlie and Sarah Webber of Newcomen Cottages, Dartmouth. Born in Dartmouth in 1893, Died of wounds 19 October 1916. Military Medal gazetted 1917.
WELSMAN, A	25730 Bombardier Arthur John Welsman of the 750th TM Brigade, the Royal Field Artillery. Son of John and Sarah Welsman. Born in Ottery St. Mary in the March Quarter of 1885. Military Medal gazetted 27 October 1916; Bar gazetted 22 July 1919.
WEST, H	M2/193232 Private Harold Charles West of the Army Supply Corps Motor Transport Section, later attached to the Royal Army Medical Corps. Son of Henry John and Bessie Charlotte West (his father was a Chief Armourer in the Royal Navy). Born in Stoke Damerel in the June Quarter of 1884. Military Medal gazetted 16 November 1917.
WESTAWAY, A	7921 Company Sergeant Major Arthur John Westaway of the 1st Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Henry and Mary Westaway. Born in Cornworthy in the September Quarter of 1886. Military Medal gazetted 22 July 1919.
WESTAWAY, R	82587 Driver Richard Westaway of the 123rd Field Company, the Royal Engineers. Son of John and Grace Westaway. Born in Zeal Monachorum in the December Quarter of 1895. Military Medal gazetted 13 June 1919.
WHEATON, A	4761 Sergeant Albert Casley Wheaton ("Bertie") of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Matthew and Alice Wheaton. Born in Uplyme, nr. Honiton, in the September Quarter of 1895. Military Medal gazetted 13 September 1918.
WHITE, C	240244 Private Cecil William White of the 1sr/5th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment (TF). Son of William and Rosa White. Born in Chudleigh in the September Quarter of 1892. Military Medal gazetted 10 December 1918. Bar to Military Medal gazetted 7 February 1919
WHITE, G	290153 Sergeant George Matthew White of the 2nd Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of William and Elizabeth Jane White. Born in Kingskerswell in the September Quarter of 1898. Military Medal gazetted 22 July 1919.
WHITE, P	30398 Private Peter Ronald White of the 2nd Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of John and Rosetta White. Born in Branscombe in the September Quarter of 1893. Military Medal gazetted 11 March 1919.
WICKETT, S	G13991 Lance Corporal Sidney Wickett of the 6th Battalion, the East Kent Regiment. Son of Titus and Elizabeth Wickett. Born in Bishop's Tawton in the March Quarter of 1886. Military Medal gazetted 7 February 1919.
WILKINSON, W	25393 Battery Sergeant William Guy de Malfort Wilkinson of the 1st Shropshire Battalion, the Royal Horse Artillery. Son of William and Florence Wilkinson. Born in Exeter in the June Quarter of 1884. Military Medal gazetted 18 June 1919.
WILLIAMS, H	69432 2nd Corporal Harry Edgar Williams of the Royal Engineers. Son of Henry and Fanny Williams of Torquay. Born in Heavitree, Exeter in the September Quarter of 1882. Military Medal gazetted 26 February 1918.
WILLATT, C	12150 Corporal (promoted to Lance Sergeant) Charles Stephen Willatt of the 3rd Battalion, the Coldstream Guards. Son of Tom and Emma Willatt of 30 Roseberry Rd.,Exmouth. Born in Maidenhead in the December Quarter of 1894. Killed in action 13 April 1918 aged 24. Military Medal gazetted 21 January 1918.
WILLIS, E	240176 Private Edward John Willis of the 5th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Mary Willis. Born in Harbertonford in the December Quarter of 1895. Military Medal gazetted 7 February 1919.
WILLOWS, G	103582 Sapper George Albert Willows of the Royal Engineers. Son of George and Clara Willows. Born in Plymouth in the June Quarter of 1894. Military Medal gazetted 16 October 1917.
WINSBORROW, J	240068 Sergeant (Albert) John Winsborrow (promoted to Company Sergeant Major) of the 5th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Richard and Ann Winsborrow. Born in Shaldon in the March Quarter of 1882. Military Medal gazetted 11 December 1918; Bar gazetted 13 May 1919.
WINSOR, J	9123 Lance Sergeant John Winsor of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Richard and Charlotte Winsor. Born in Walkhampton in the September Quarter of 1889 - later moved to Exeter. Military Medal gazetted 1 September 1916.
WINZER, W	24373 Sapper (promoted to Corporal) Walter Winzer of the 4th DS Company, the Royal Engineers. Son of Thomas and Ellen Winzer. Born in Stokenham in 1890. Held the DCM. Military Medal gazetted 18 June 1917; Bar gazetted 13 May 1919.
WOOLACOTT, N	9438 Private Noah James Woolacott of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Noah and Mary Woolacott. Born in Shebbear in the September Quarter of 1891. Military Medal gazetted 20 October 1916.
WOOLCOTT, L	240070 Sergeant Lewis William Woolcott of the 5th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Hannah Woolcott. Born in Bovey Tracey in the September Quarter of 1880. Military Medal gazetted 22 July 1919.
WOTTON, G	240823 Private George Wotton of the "E" Company, 5th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Charles and Charlotte Wotton. Born in Newton Abbot in the December Quarter of 1891. Military Medal gazetted 22 July 1919.
WYATT, C	71561 Sapper Carrington Wyatt of the Royal Engineers. Son of William and Margaret Wyatt. Born in Branscombe in the March Quarter of 1884. Military Medal gazetted 19 November 1917; Bar gazetted 8 August 1918.
WYATT, J	10108 Private James William Wyatt of the 8th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of James and Dinah Wyatt of 54 Lower Union Lane, Torquay. Born in Torquay in the June Quarter of 1894. Killed in action 20 July 1918 aged 24. Military Medal gazetted 13 September 1918.
WYATT, W	1559 Private William Henry Wyatt of the Royal Army Medical Corps; then Acting Corporal attached to the Royal Irish Rifles. Son of William Henry and Mary Wyatt (née Baker) of Bovey Tracey. Born in Bovey Tracey in the December Quarter of 1894. Military Medal gazetted 14 September 1919.
YABSLEY, F	504762 Lance Corporal Frederick John Yabsley of the Signal sub-section, the Royal Engineers. Son of James and Laura Yabsley. Born in Ivybridge in the September Quarter of 1894. Military Medal gazetted 22 July 1919.
YELDON, R	510391 Lance Corporal Reginald Charles Yeldon of the Royal Engineers (subsequently promoted to Corporal 2nd Class, Transport Section). Son of Charles and Emily Yeldon. Born in St. Thomas, Exeter in the March Quarter of 1890. Military Medal gazetted 11 December 1917.
YEOMAN, A	86684 Bombardier Alfred John Yeoman of the Royal Field Artillery. Son of John and Eliza Yeoman. Born nr. Paignton in the December Quarter of 11886. Military Medal gazetted 14 September 1916; Bar gazetted 12 June 1918.
YOLLAND, J	240075 Corporal John Henry Yolland of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of William and Jane Yolland. Born in Ashburton in the December Quarter of 1886. Military Medal gazetted 25 April 1918.
YOUNG, W	41034 Private Walter John Young of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Son of Charles and Ann Young. Born in Ilfracombe in the September Quarter of 1899. Military Medal gazetted 20 August 1919.