THIS week we conclude our tribute to the men of Weymouth who were killed in the Middle East during the First World War.

It is thanks to historian Greg Schofield that we bring you the remainder of the names of these fallen soldiers.

Greg tells us: "Early 1918 was spent in actions in the Judean Hills and the Jordan Valley, and the capture of Jericho. The final major battle took place at Megiddo on September 19, 1918, when in a brilliant action the Turkish Army was thoroughly defeated and virtually ceased to exist.

The following Weymouth men were killed:-

• COOMBES B. Private 1st Dorset Yeomanry (Queen’s Own). Died October 14, 1918, aged 21. Son of George and Sarah Coombes of Buckland Newton. Lived 2, Mulberry Terrace, School Street, Weymouth.

• DRAKE Arthur James Private 2nd Dorsetshire Regiment. Killed in action September 19, 1918, aged 22. Son of Sarah and James Drake. Lived at 78, Newstead Road, Weymouth.

• HOLLAND George William Private 2nd Dorsetshire Regiment. Died November 22, 1918, aged 34.

• PITMAN G. E. Private 2nd/14th London Regiment (London Scottish) Killed in action May 1, 1918. Lived Cromwell Road, Weymouth.

• RIMMER J. Serjeant Royal Engineers. Died October 16, 1918, aged 37.Husband of Rose Rimmer. Lived at 4, Victoria Street, Weymouth.

Greg tells us: "It is impossible to know how many Weymouth men went to war between 1914 and 1918.

"In response to Kitchener’s iconic poster, the young men of Weymouth volunteered as enthusiastically as anywhere else. What we don’t know is how many were already serving in the armed forces, or were reservists who were automatically called up.

"Neither do we know how many who moved away from Weymouth, whether within Britain or abroad, became involved in the conflict.

"Statistics can prove very misleading and easily be misinterpreted, but they can be used in an unsophisticated way to give a ball-park figure. What is known is that at least 490 Weymouth men died; we also know that one in 12 of British and Empire forces died. Therefore 12 x 490 indicates that approximately 5,880 Weymouth men were serving in the armed forces out of an approximate local male population of 8,000 who were of an age to serve, that is, between 17 and 60 years of age.

"Of the Weymouth men that died, 84 were serving in the Navy, 367 were in the Army, 4 in the RFC/RAF, and sadly it is unknown in which of the forces 35 were serving.

"The youngest to die were two 17 year olds; Leslie BAUGH and John BOWERING. The oldest was 64 year old Peter BISHOP.

"The first to die was Francis THOYTS on 26th August, 1914; the last before the Armistice was Alexander SCHOFIELD on November 10, 1918, and the last after the Armistice was Sydney STEVENS on April 22, 1921.

"This raises an important point, for until August 31 1921, any soldier still in service who had served in the war, or who died post 1918 directly as a result of war wounds, counted as a casualty of that war.

"Weymouth’s naval dead mostly went down with their ships in naval actions all over the world, and have those ships as their war graves. Their names are recorded on the naval memorials in Plymouth and Portsmouth.

"Most of our Army dead have graves with headstone markers, but the bodies of too many have never been found and are recorded on memorials such as the Menin Gate and Thiepval.

"The majority were killed in France and Belgium; the next most serious area of action was the Middle East, particularly Gallipoli, Palestine and Mesopotamia. The graves of other Weymouth men are to be found in Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Greece, Italy, Canada, Kenya, Mozambique and India. Truly it was a World War for those brave Weymouth men."