The Memorial Hall was founded in 1921 to commemorate the people from Dunster who served in the forces in World War One. A list of their names can be found on a wooden board in the Hall foyer, and there is also a brass plaque on the front of the building, which lists those who served in World War Two as well.
Some of our volunteer team have been finding out who these servicemen were – where and when they were born, where they grew up, what they did in the war, what happened to them in later life – and their stories, as well as being interesting in their own rights, are giving us a rich picture of life in Dunster in the early 20th century.
[{"id":3398,"link":"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/people\/edgar-dyer\/","name":"edgar-dyer","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Edgar-Dyer-1920s.jpg?fit=465%2C338&ssl=1","alt":""},"title":"Edgar Dyer","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Dunster Museum","link":"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/article\/author\/museum\/"},"date":"Jan 24, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-01-24 13:03:30","modifiedDate":"2025-01-30 23:13:27","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-01-30 23:13:27","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/first-world-war\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/first-world-war-soldiers\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War soldiers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">People<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Village history<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/first-world-war\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/first-world-war-soldiers\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War soldiers<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">People<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Village history<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"","facts":"","references":""},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":32},"status":"publish","excerpt":"Edgar Dyer was a Private in the 13th Hussars. After the war he joined his father at the saddlery in the High Street, and ran the business until he died in 1975."},{"id":3551,"link":"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/people\/edwin-eddo-thomas\/","name":"edwin-eddo-thomas","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Edwin-Thomas-1920s-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1646&ssl=1","alt":""},"title":"Edwin (\u2018Eddo\u2019) Thomas","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Barbara Hoffbauer","link":"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/article\/author\/bhmarsh\/"},"date":"Jan 27, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-01-27 19:21:13","modifiedDate":"2025-02-04 16:09:08","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-02-04 16:09:08","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/first-world-war\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/first-world-war-soldiers\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War soldiers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Village history<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/first-world-war\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/first-world-war-soldiers\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War soldiers<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Village history<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"","facts":"","references":""},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":35},"status":"publish","excerpt":"Edwin (\u2018Eddo\u2019) Thomas served in the Somerset Light Infantry 4th Reserve Battalion, which was a home service battalion. Four of Eddo\u2019s brothers are also commemorated on our Memorial plaque. After the war Eddo worked as a delivery driver for Parham\u2019s grocery store. He lived in St George\u2019s St, and later in West Close, and died in 1984."},{"id":3549,"link":"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/people\/harold-gill\/","name":"harold-gill","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Harold-Millicent-Gill-1960s.jpg?fit=271%2C280&ssl=1","alt":""},"title":"Harold Gill","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"James Inealing","link":"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/article\/author\/jamesinealing\/"},"date":"Jan 27, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-01-27 19:14:07","modifiedDate":"2025-01-29 23:44:10","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-01-29 23:44:10","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/first-world-war\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/first-world-war-soldiers\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War soldiers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">People<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Village history<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/first-world-war\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/first-world-war-soldiers\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War soldiers<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">People<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Village history<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"","facts":"","references":""},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":27},"status":"publish","excerpt":"Harold Gill enlisted in the Army Service Corps Remount Service in September 1915. He was posted to France in 1916, where he stayed until the end of the war. After the war he worked as a carter on the Luttrell Estate, and lived in West Street. He died in 1961."},{"id":3650,"link":"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/people\/leonard-cantle\/","name":"leonard-cantle","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Leonard-Cantle-c1910.jpg?fit=241%2C299&ssl=1","alt":"Leonard Cantle c1910"},"title":"Leonard Cantle","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"James Inealing","link":"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/article\/author\/jamesinealing\/"},"date":"Feb 3, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-02-03 12:20:47","modifiedDate":"2025-02-03 12:20:51","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-02-03 12:20:51","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/first-world-war-soldiers\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War soldiers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">People<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Village history<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/first-world-war-soldiers\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War soldiers<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">People<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Village history<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"","facts":"","references":""},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":35},"status":"publish","excerpt":"Leonard Cantle was the son of Dunster School\u2019s headmaster. He enlisted in the 4th Gloucester Regiment, serving on the Western Front, and was awarded the Military Medal for \"acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire\". He later transferred to the Indian Mountain Artillery, where he was a Lieutenant. Leonard died in 1950."},{"id":3392,"link":"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/people\/walter-miller\/","name":"walter-miller","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"Walter Miller","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"James Inealing","link":"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/article\/author\/jamesinealing\/"},"date":"Jan 24, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-01-24 12:53:16","modifiedDate":"2025-03-23 16:52:41","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-03-23 16:52:41","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/first-world-war\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/first-world-war-soldiers\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War soldiers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Village history<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/first-world-war\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/people\/first-world-war-soldiers\/\" rel=\"category tag\">First World War soldiers<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.dunstermuseum.co.uk\/articles\/dunster-history\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Village history<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"","facts":"","references":""},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":27},"status":"publish","excerpt":"Walter Miller was a Private in the Somerset Light Infantry. He lived in Park Street where his mother kept a grocery shop. After the war Walter worked as a carpenter for J. Hine & Son. He died in 1981."}]