62


Entry
27
DACKOMBE
(and variants)
Forces War Records
Cecil Albert DACOMBE
1915


Below is the information for Cecil Albert DACOMBE


First Name: Cecil Albert 
Initials: C A 
Surname: Dacombe 
DOB: Circa 1894 
Age: 21 
Birth Town: Sturminster Marshall, Dorset. 
Resided Town: Dorchester, Dorset. 
Nationality: British 
Date of Death: 21/08/1915 
Fate: Killed in Action 
Information: Nephew of Gertrude Eliza Dacombe, of Athelhampton, Puddletown, Dorset. 
Rank: Private 
Service Number: 10161 
Duty Location: Gallipoli 
Campaign Medals: 1914/15 Star

Given the information we have available, it is very possible that Cecil Albert Dacombe was was awarded the 1914-15 star campaign medal of the British Empire for his service in World War One.

This Star is identical to the 1914 Star in every respect except that the centre scroll bears the dates “1914- 15” and the two small scrolls bearing “Aug” and “Nov” are omitted.

He would also have received the British War Medal and Victory Medal, as it was not awarded singularly. These three medals were sometimes irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred. With Pip representing either this medal or the 1914 Star, only one of which could be awarded to a soldier, Squeak represented the British War Medal and Wilfred represented the Victory Medal. 

Victory Medal
Given the information we have available it is likely that Cecil Albert Dacombe was entitled to the Victory medal, also called the Inter Allied Victory Medal. This medal was awarded to all who received the 1914 Star or 1914-15 Star and, with certain exceptions, to those who received the British War Medal. It was never awarded alone. These three medals were sometimes irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.
Eligibility for this award consisted of having been mobilised, fighting, having served in any of the theatres of operations, or at sea, between midnight 4th/5th August, 1914, and midnight, 11th/12th November, 1918. Women who served in any of the various military organisations in a theatre of operations were also eligible. 

British War Medal
From the information available to us, it is very possible that Cecil Albert Dacombe was entitled to the British War Medal for service in World War One. This British Empire campaign medal was issued for services between 5th August 1914 and 11th November 1918.
The medal was automatically awarded in the event of death on active service before the completion of this period. 

Service: British Army 
Regiment: Dorsetshire Regiment 
Dorsetshire Regiment during World War 1
Since 1815 the balance of power in Europe had been maintained by a series of treaties. In 1888 Wilhelm II was crowned ‘German Emperor and King of Prussia’ and moved from a policy of maintaining the status quo to a more aggressive position. He did not renew a treaty with Russia, aligned Germany with the declining Austro-Hungarian Empire and started to build a Navy to rival that of Britain. These actions greatly concerned Germany’s neighbours, who quickly forged new treaties and alliances in the event of war. On 28th June 1914 Franz Ferdinand the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated by the Bosnian-Serb nationalist group Young Bosnia who wanted pan-Serbian independence. Franz Joseph the Austro-Hungarian Emperor (with the backing of Germany) responded aggressively, presenting Serbia with an intentionally unacceptable ultimatum, to provoke Serbia into war. Serbia agreed to 8 of the 10 terms and on the 28th July 1914 the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia, producing a cascade effect across Europe. Russia bound by treaty to Serbia declared war with Austro-Hungary, Germany declared war with Russia and France declared war with Germany. Germany’s army crossed into neutral Belgium in order to reach Paris, forcing Britain to declare war with Germany (due to the Treaty of London (1839) whereby Britain agreed to defend Belgium in the event of invasion). By the 4th August 1914 Britain and much of Europe were pulled into a war which would last 1,566 days, cost 8,528,831 lives and 28,938,073 casualties or missing on both sides.

The regiment raised a total of 12 Battalions and received 57 Battle Honours losing 4,060 men during the course of the war.

5th (Service) Battalion
Aug 1914 Formed at Dorchester as part of the First New Army (K1) and then moved to Belton Park, Grantham and attached to the 11th Division.
18.01.1915 Joined the 34th brigade of the 11th Division.
03.07.1915 Embarked for Gallipoli from Liverpool via Mudros and Imbros.
06.08.1915 Landed at Suvla Bay and engaged in various actions against the Turkish Army including;
The Battle of Sari Bair.
16.12.1915 Evacuated from Gallipoli to Mudros and Imbros due to severe casualties from combat, disease and harsh weather.
01.02.1916 Deployed to Alexandria and took over a section of the Suez Canal defences.
03.07.1916 Embarked for France from Alexandria arriving at Marseilles and engaged in various actions on the Western Front including;
The capture of the Wundt-Werk, The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, The Battle of Thiepval. 
1917
Operations on the Ancre, The Battle of Messines, The Battle of the Langemarck, The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde, The Battle of Poelcapelle. 
1918
The Battle of the Scarpe, The Battle of the Drocourt-Quant Line, The Battle of the Canal du Nord, The Battle of Cambrai 1918, The pursuit to the Selle, The Battle of the Sambre. 
11.11.1918 Ended the war at les Trieux west of Aulnois, Belgium.


Battalion: 5th Battalion 
Commemorated: Britain 
Collections: Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919 

The IWGC/CWGC Registers Collection 

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