Our thanks to Pam Windley for supply information on the above solidier.

 

Elesmere lived until his 80's and is buried in the church yard at Danesmoor.

 

 

Lance Corporal Elesmere Westbury was awarded the DCM*.                                                                 

He returned after the war and was presented by the village people of New Tupton with a 'purse of gold' which could have been some money and a Gold Hunter Watch.                                             

He signed up to fight in WW1 and appears to have lied about his age. It appears that his parents desperately tried to get Els back out from his Gloucester regiment but to no avail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Distinguished Conduct Medal               
Established on 4th December 1854, during the Crimean War, the Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) was a high level award for bravely, being a second levelmilitary decoration to other ranks, and Non-Commissioned Personnel of the British Army and Commonwealth Countries eligible for this award.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               The Distinguished Conduct Medal was regarded as second only to the Victoria Cross in prestige.
The D.C.M. was awarded to E A Westbury for gallantry in the field in the face of the enemy. E A Westbury was also entitled to use the letters D.C.M. after his name.
Bars were awarded to recipients of the D.C.M. in recognition of the performance of further acts of gallantry meriting the award.
Conferment of the D.C.M. gallantry award was announced in the London Gazette and accompanied by a citation.

For conspicuous gallantry during lengthy operations, when carrying messages under very heavy shell fire. He often crossed a shell swept zone four of times a day, and enabled touch to be kept with Headquarters when telephone wires were broken and could not