Businessman in West Indies

Family :

Education & Career :

Blundells School

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

CAREW, Coventry George Warrington, Major, 1/Dorsetshire Regiment At the outbreak of the war CAREW was in business in the West Indies and is commemorated on the Rousseau, Dominica Roll of Honour. He immediately returned to Britain to serve King and Country. In May 1915 he gained a Lieutenants rank and the following December was promoted to Captain. By November 1916 he was a Major in the 7/Dorsetshire Regiment but had been attached to the 1st Battalion which was on the Somme. The 1st Bn. Dorsetshire Regiment were part of 14th Brigade, 32nd Division. On 1st July the battalion attacked towards Leipzig Redoubt in front of Thiepval village advancing from Authuille woods and suffered heavy casualties. They were also involved in attacks at Ovilliers and Bouzincourt that month but on the 19th they began a march to the Bethune area. They returned to the Somme at the end of October, moved to Mailly-Maillet on 15th November, and relieved front line trenches there the next day. They supported the attack on Frankfort trench and Ten Tree Alley between Serre and Beaumont Hamel on the 18th November, remaining in front line trenches until the 23rd November when they were relieved to Mailly-Maillet. Major CAREW was killed on 20th November in the sector between Serre and Beaumont Hamel. He has no known grave. He left a widow, Mary Jane Carew and three grown-up daughters at his home in Ashburton. By 1920 they had moved to ?Rocklands? Vicarage Rd., Chelston, Torquay, Devon. He appears on the Blundells School Roll of Honourhaving been educated there between 1882 and 1886. He was a noted public speaker of considerable eloquence and vigour which no doubt assisted in his masonic career as he was progressing through the offices and at his death was the Senior Deacon of his lodge. The 1921 Roll of Honour incorrectly describes him as a Captain.

Masonic :

Senior Deacon

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley