Private Britton John Edwards
2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
Killed in Action
Date of Birth: 3 February 1883
Place of Birth: Dalwood, Axminister
Date of Death: 27 May 1918 aged 31
Buried: Remembered on Soissons Memorial, Aisne; Seafront Memorial and St. James' Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth, Devon.
Awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
Private Britton John Edwards age 31.
Born in Dalwood, Axminster on 3 February 1883, he was baptised on 3 May, the son of William, a dealer, and Mary Edwards. In 1891 he was living with his grandfather, a farmer, at Axminster. The 1901 census showed him as a boarder in Bridgwater where he was working as a bank clerk aged 18. Britton married Flora Bishop at Bridgwater on 3 April 1911. He was shown on the 1914 electoral register living at Durnleigh, Third Avenue, Teignmouth; and again on 1918 electoral roll with his wife Flora.
Prior to the war Britton was living in Teignmouth where he worked as a bank cashier at Lloyds Bank joining them on 14 April 1899.
Devonshire Regiment
cap badge
There are no available army records except one showing that he was serving with 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, service number 66386, when he was reported missing to his family.
Britton was still reported missing in the Western Times edition of 13 December 1918. He was later confirmed as killed in the action which took place on 27 May 1918. Remembered on Soissons Memorial, Aisne; Seafront Memorial and St. James' Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth, Devon.
"Mr B J Edwards Devon's reported missing, was accountant at Lloyds bank in town." Teignmouth Post - 21 June
"On 27th May at Bois de Buttes their Brigade was overwhelmed by a huge German attack and, to buy time for the rest of the Corps, the 2nd Devon's stood and fought.
This action cost the regiment 551 killed and missing. Among those killed was their Colonel. To recognise their courage the French awarded the Regiment the Croix de Guerre, whose ribbon all Devon's wore on their sleeve."
'History of 2nd Devon's
The Keep Military Museum, Dorchester.
(Portrait photo supplied by Lloyd’s Bank)
Stand of the 2nd Devons by William Barnes Wollen Public Domain. Scanned
