Dawlish World War One Project

James Henry Hill enlisted at Leicester and the Medal Roll Index Card shows that he first served in H.S. 31-10-14. The 'H.S.' may refer to Hospital Ship because a report in the Dawlish Gazette of 2 January 1915 shows that he contributed to an entertainment for men of the 3rd Devons, based in the town.

Later in 1915, on the 19th June, he married Ethel Flora Grumbridge (1891- ) in the Parish Church, Dawlish. (GRO ref 1915 April-June, Newton Abbot Vol 5b, p 301). Her father, Charles Grumbridge (deceased) had been a coachman. It is not known if there were children of this marriage.
In 1917 Private James Henry Hill, R.A.M.C. was serving aboard the Hospital Ship SALTA which struck a mine and sank off Le Havre.  (See doc, below, for account of sinking.) He is understood to have drowned.

James Henry Hill was the grandson of Henry and Elizabeth Hill and his father Henry John Hill appears in the census return for 1871. Henry Hill (1845- ) was then a Private in the Royal Marines and was living at 41 St Paul's Street, East Stonehouse with his wife Elizabeth (1846- ), Henry John (1867-1921) and William T Hill (1871- ).

Henry John Hill married Bessie Dawe (1860-1953) on 30 August 1890 in the parish Church, Dawlish. They lived at 7 Badlake Hill and Henry John was a house painter and Bessie a laundress. James Henry Hill was born in the following (census) year and is shown as being one year old. There were four further children but only three in all survived to the 1911 census, James Henry, Frances Edward (1894-1970) and Russell (1897-1920) who was also to appear on Dawlish War Memorial. James Henry Hill married Ethel Flora Grumbridge on 19th June 1915, shortly before his death (see Dawlish Gazette report in Documents, below).

A fuller description of the family is given in Documents, below. Inscriptions on the parents' grave plinth are shown in Pictures.