BELLS were rung in Dorchester to commemorate the life of Lance Corporal William Alfred Painter, who died in the Great War aged 28.

A quarter peal of 1,260 Grandsire Triples was rung in his memory at St Peter's Church in Dorchester.

William was a Dorset Police constable and a bell ringer at St Peter's Church in Dorchester. He was also a member of the Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers (SGDR).

The bells will be rung again on Sunday, May 29, 2018, to commemorate 100 years since a ring of Grandsire Triples on May 29 1918, following news that William Painter had died on April 21, 1918.

William Alfred Painter was born at Dorchester in the second quarter of 1890, the third child of Henry Painter (sometimes spelled Paynter) and Mary Ann (Anna) Painter (née Cross). William featured in the 1891 and 1901 censuses, living with his parents at Dorchester (5, Frome Terrace). By the time of the 1911 census, the family had moved to a new address in Dorchester (30 Orchard Street); by then, William was 21-years-old and working as a bookbinder at Longman's at 4 Cornhill.

He then decided on a change of occupation and became a police officer, joining the county constabulary and working in Wareham.

During April 1918 the 6th Dorsets were resting at Pernois, having been heavily involved in the Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser’s Battle) during the last few weeks of March.

As a soldier on the frontline in the First World War William injured his arm and contracted pneumonia. He was sent back to England and spent several weeks recovering. After visiting his parents he returned to his regiment on March 21, 1918, but within a month he lay dead in a British base hospital after a recurrence of his illness.

William was buried in Etaples Military Cemetery near Boulogne and in Dorchester his name was inscribed on a memorial to members of the Salisbury Diocesan of Bell Ringers, which was placed in St Peter's Church. His name also appears on the main war memorial in Dorchester, the war memorial cross outside St Peter's Church and was also listed on the County Constabulary Memorial, outside police HQ in Dorchester - this memorial is now at the police HQ in Winfrith.

Much of this information comes from Dorchester historian Brian Bates' book Dorchester Remembers the Great War, which was published by Roving Press in 2012.