Lieutenant Kenneth Vernon DODGSON
D Company, 8th (Service) Battalion Devonshire Regiment

Date of birth: 25th June 1891
Date of death: 25th September 1915

Killed in action aged 24
Commemorated on the Loos Memorial Panels 35 to 37
He was born at South Hill, Harrow on the 25th of June 1891 the elder son of the Reverend Francis Vivian Dodgson, Chaplain to Dr Barnardo’s Homes at Barkingside and Vicar of Euacombe, and Constance Mary (nee Davies) later of “Elmdene”, Roxeth, Harrow later of “Sunny Cliff”, Mortehoe in Devon. He was christened by his father at Christ Church, Roxeth Hill, Harrow on the 25th of July 1891.

He was educated at the King’s School Canterbury from May 1906 to July 1910 where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps for a year and was appointed as a house monitor. He went on to Pembroke College Oxford where he matriculated in October 1910 and gained a BA on the 14th of February 1914. He won his college colours for rugby and served as a Private in the Oxford University Officer Training Corps from June 1913. He intended to take holy orders and had won a place at Salisbury Theological College for entrance in October 1914. He was working as a schoolmaster when his plans were interrupted by the outbreak of war.

Instead he applied for a commission and underwent a medical examination at Exeter on the 12th of August 1914 where it was recorded that he was five feet eleven and half inches tall and that he weighed 152lbs. In his application he expressed a preference for a commission in either the 3rd Battalion Devonshire Regiment, the 7th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment or the East Kent Regiment. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Devonshire Regiment on the 21st of August 1914 and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 5th of February 1915. After training in the UK he embarked for France with his battalion from Southampton on the 25th of July 1915 and disembarked at Le Havre at 7.30am the next morning.

The 25th of September 1915 was the opening day of the Battle of Loos and the 8th Battalion found themselves in trenches in front of the German position of Breslau Trench which was their first objective that day. A new front line trench had been dug and C Company occupied them with A and D Companies in support in the old front line. There was some shelling of the German positions overnight but at 5.30am on the morning of the 25th a deluge of fire fell on them. There was some response from the German artillery which caused casualties in the densely packed Devon’s trenches. Then gas and smoke were released from the British trenches and, although all went well at first, the wind changed and the men suffered from the effects despite their newly issued gas helmets. “Zero” hour was set for 6.30am but D Company must have started their advance before that as the three front companies were level with each other and advanced together across no man's land. Because of this there was much bunching at the gaps in the British wire and losses were heavy as the Germans opened fire with rifle and machine gun fire. The battalion crossed and took Breslau Trench in only 12 minutes with Kenneth Dodgson being one of the few officers who made it to the objective but he was overwhelmed by chlorine gas in Breslau Trench and his body was not recovered.

His father received the following telegram dated the 1st of October 1915: -

"Deeply regret to inform you that Lt. K.V. Dodgson 8th Devon Regt. was killed in action between 25th + 27th Sept. Lord Kitchener expresses his sympathy."

He is commemorated on the war memorial at Mortehoe in Devon and on the memorial at Pembroke College Oxford.
Holme House

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