WW1 – Remembering the Dead

It is now 100 years since the cessation of the first World War. By the end of it, over 9 million soldiers had been killed, and another 21 million wounded. Over a million soldiers were killed in the infamous Battle of the Somme alone, including about 30,000 in just one day. Many a Pursey sacrificed their lives for their country; many a family lost their loved ones.

One of the most unlucky must be my distant cousin Richard Pursey of the 1st Bn. Dorsetshire Regiment. He was killed in action on the 4th November 1918 – just one week before hostilities ended with the armistice in the Forest of Compiègne in northern France. He is buried here in Ors British Cemetery France. He was the son of unmarried Louisa Pursey who died in Exeter workhouse in 1900. Along with his brother Thomas, he was adopted by my Great grand-uncle Thomas Henry Pursey and his wife Rose who had no children of their own.

There are many other sad and moving stories of Purseys lost in the war. Mary Pursey of Wokingham, Berkshire also lost two sons – Henry of the 1st Bn. Royal Berkshire Regiment (d Oct 1914) at the First Battle of Ypres and Thomas William (d 15 May 1915). More information about this family can be found on the excellent ‘Wokingham Remembers‘ website.

We should not forget Pursey family members born overseas. One of whom was Philip Pursey, born in Cape Town in 1877 to Henry Thomas Purs(s)ey and Jane (Rayner). He died 1917 and is buried at the Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery Extension in France. Henry-Thomas’s family are the Kent Purseys.

The graves of more than 20 members of Pursey families have been photographed and can be found at the War Graves Photographic Project.

—

Soldiers who Died in the Great War 1914-1919

Source: https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead