Dennis Arthur Ballard was the second of four children of William Henry Ballard and Eliza Henrietta Isabel neé Bradford. He was born in Dharmsala, Punjab in 1897 & entered the UK on 2nd November 1908 accompanied by his mother and two sisters. Dennis was educated at the School House, Chard & was engaged to be married to Heather Haughton James of Forton House, Forton nr Chard. Three days after the declaration of war he enlisted in the London Regiment, and on 13th March 1915 obtained a commission as a second lieutenant on probation in the 3rd Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancashire Regiment. Charles was posted to the 1st Battalion and went to the Front in May 1915 taking part in the Second Battle of Ypres. In October 1915 he was wounded but no doubt back in action by July 1916 for the Battle of Albert which opened the Battle of the Somme. Charles was made acting Captain in November 1916 perhaps as a consequence of losses in the Battle of Le Transloy & as a result of his mention in dispatches that month. 1917 saw no let up and Charles was in action at the First & Third Battles of the Scarpe and was wounded once again. At what point Charles re-joined the Battalion we do not know but he was subsequently killed in action near Monchy-le-Preux on 12th December 1917. A former commanding-officer of his Battalion wrote of him ;- "He was easily the most popular of the company commanders, and had the best company always. His men adored him, and he was a great favourite with us all."

Paul Ballard