BWM 2nd Lt Oliver 10th Devonshire Regt late 1st Royal Devonshire Yeomanry

British War Medal named 2 LIEUT J F OLIVER.

John Francis Oliver born 24th March 1891 in Sheffield, Yorkshire and was a farm student learning to farm and was living in Torquay. He enlisted into the 1st Royal Devonshire Yeomanry numbered 2406 on 3rd Sept 1914. He landed in Gallipoli on 6th Oct 1915 to take part in the campaign, went to Sulva hospital with diarrhea on 9th Nov 1915 and then was withdrawn to Egypt in Dec 1915. On the 4th Jan 1917 the regiment merged with 1/1st North Devon Yeomanry to form the 16th (Royal 1st Devon and North Devon Yeomanry) Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment and he was renumbered 345178.

He was sent back to the UK on 31st Jan 1917 as he had applied for a commission in the Devonshire Regiment. He was granted his commission on 31st Oct 1917. On 20th Nov 1917 he arrives in Salonika with the 10th Battalion Devonshire Regiment and stays out there till 28th Aug 1919 when he was sent back to be demobbed.