Private Frank Samuel Dart


Service Army Service No. 268222
Rank Private
Regiment:Devonshire Regiment, 1st/6th Battalion
Date of Birth: 01/12/1893
Born Dawlish
Date of Death: 19/12/1917
Memorial: Dawlish Memorial Inscription DART F.S. PTE. DEVON REGT.

Service History

We know that Frank Samuel Dart enlisted at Plymouth and that may have been soon after the outbreak of war.

12.05.1916 Joined the 14th Indian Division which engaged in various actions as part of The Mesopotamian campaign including;
Advance to the Hai and capture of the Khudaira Bend, Capture of the Hai Salient, Capture of Sannaiyat, Second Battle of Kut, Passage of the Tigris, Fall of Baghdad (1917), Passage of the ‘Adhaim, Action of the Shatt al Adhaim, Second action of Jabal Hamrin, Third action of Jabal Hamrin.
Once British interests in the oilfields had been secured, it was decided to consolidate our position by moving along the river banks to Baghdad which ultimately fell in 1917 but not without bloodshed. The Germans tried to foster a Jihad or holy war against the British forces and Turkey itself offered strong resistance to these incursions into its Empire.

Sept 1917 Moved to Amara to defend the Lines of Communication of the Tigris Defences.

It is not clear how or when Private Frank Samuel Dart was taken ill or wounded and brought back to Britain. The press reports show that he had “a long and painful illness” and had been treated at Moorlands Hospital, Manchester. He died there and was brought home to Dawlish for burial in the cemetery.

See Documents, below for further detail.

Association with Dawlish

Frank Samuel Dart was the son of a well known fishmonger and the grand-son of a Dawlish farm worker, Robert Dart.

Robert and Anna Maria Dart had eight children and lived for many years in Park Row. Robert Dart was born in Dawlish ca 1828 and his wife Anna Maria (1832- ) came from Dartmouth. Their family comprised:

John Dart 1851-1909 born Dawlish father of Frank Samuel

Robert Dart 1853- “

William Dart 1855- “

Ann Maria Dart 1857- “ a.k.a. Hannah

Henry Dart 1865- “

Frederick James Dart 1868- “

Emily Louisa Dart 1872- “

John Dart married Mary Jane Woodrow (1854-1918) in the St Thomas district in Apr-June 1871. Mary Jane Woodrow was the daughter of William and Anna Woodrow of Dawlish. William was a naval pensioner and Mary Jane was born in East Stonehouse (now Plymouth).

John Dart was a well known fishmonger/ fish merchant in Dawlish.

John and Mary Jane Dart’s family included:

Henry James Woodrow 1869- born to Mary Jane Woodrow, father unknown

Ned Dart ca 1875 born Dawlish

Frederick John Dart 1876-1929 “

Alice (Maud) Dart 1877- born Dawlish

John Dart 1880- “

William Dart 1882- born Dawlish

Percy (Edward?) Dart 1884- “

Elizabeth (Lizzy) Dart 1886- “

Frank Samuel Dart 1893-1917

The census of 1911 show Frank Samuel Dart, 18, boarding with Martha Smith in Coventry where he was an apprentice engine fitter (motor cars). Other engine fitters were also boarding there.

See greater detail in Documents, a life story.

Devon Roll of Honour Dart, F.S., pte, Devon Regt, 19th Dec 1917, Manchester
Additional Information Commonwealth War Graves Site


Next of Kin: Mother, Mary Jane Dart
Last Known Address: 41 Cope Street, Coventry


Frank Samuel Dart

Devonshire Regiment cap badge

Extract from Soldiers' Effects

Dawlish Boys' School Roll of Honour 1914-1919

free birth, marriage, death refs

extracts from the Dawlish Gazette (see, in Documents)

The Devon regiment in Mesopotamia

refs via subscription website:

census records

UK, Army register of Soldiers’ Effects

UK, Soldiers died in the Great War

Probate records