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Name : William Sawyer & Ralph Sawyer Sons of : William Josiah Sawyer and Deborah Mary Sawyer (née Hodge), of 32, Trafalgar Rd., Newport, Isle of Wight. William Sawyer : Born : 1893 Shalfleet. Ralph Sawyer : Born : 1895 Shalfleet. |
| Census information
: 1901 : William and Deborah Sawyer, with their children including William aged 8 and Ralph aged 6, are at West End Cottage, New Bridge, Shalfleet, Isle of Wight. William Sawyer is a Blacksmith. 1911 : William and Deborah Sawyer, with their children including William aged 18 and Ralph aged 16, are at 32, Trafalgar Rd., Newport, Isle of Wight. William Sawyer snr is a Coach Smith, William Sawyer jnr is a Grocery Assistant, and Ralph Sawyer is a Grocer's Clerk. |
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| Service Details
: Rifleman 1905 Ralph Sawyer, 1/8th Bn., Hampshire Regiment, (Isle of Wight Rifles). |
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Casualty Details
: Died : 12 August 1915, aged 21. Commemorated at : Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey. CWGC Record |
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Commemorated on these
Memorials : Carisbrooke Castle Isle of Wight Rifles Memorial Panel 11 Newport 1st Scout Group War Memorial WW I Newport Borough War Memorial Newport Castlehold Baptist Church War Memorial Newport County Secondary School War Memorial WW I Newport Drill Hall Isle of Wight Rifles War Memorial Newport Literary Society War Memorial WW I Newport Oddfellows War Memorial WW I Newport C.E. National School War Memorial |
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| Service Details
: Corporal 241599 William Sawyer, 2nd/5th Bn., Lincolnshire Regiment. |
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| Casualty Details
: Died : 12 April 1917, aged 24. Buried at : Beaurevoir Communal Cemetery, Aisne, France. CWGC Record |
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| Commemorated on these
Memorials : Carisbrooke Castle County War Memorial Panel 12 Newport Borough War Memorial Newport Castlehold Baptist Church War Memorial Newport C.E. National School War Memorial |
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Photo Gallery :
Judy Waugh in Australia has provided me with these images of a crucifix owned by Ralph Sawyer, which she owns as part of a collection of trench art. She is planning to write a book on this subject, referencing named soldiers and giving their stories. The crucifix is Sterling silver (stamped .925 in three places) and was possibly made by him from other silverware while in training in the U.K. before embarkation for Gallipoli. One side bears the inscription R. SAWYER | 1905 [his regimental number], and the other bears the initials H and R. |
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Documents and Newspaper cuttings :
Isle of Wight County Press
11 September 1915 Rfn. Ralph Sawyer, D Co., missing, is the second son of Mr. W. Sawyer, of 32 Trafalgar-road, Newport, and was employed in Messrs. Jordan & Stanley's clerical department. |
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| Acknowledgments
: Judy Waugh for the photographs of Ralph Sawyer's crucifix |
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| Further information : A brother-in-law of the Sawyer brothers, Donald Edwin Abraham (who married Daisy Sawyer) was killed as a result of enemy action in World War II. |
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| Page status : Page last updated : 18 July 2013 (added crucifix photos) |
 Memorials & Monuments
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