Oliver Charles Dennis
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Oliver Charles Dennis was born on the 19th May 1891, he was baptised along with his brother Frank on 17th August 1893 at St Mary's Church, Sheffield, he was the son of the late John a blacksmith and Annie Dennis née Ashbery.
His father John was born in 1839 at Beighton he died in 1904 he was 65 yrs old, his mother Annie Ashbery was born in 1848 at Cuckney, Nottinghamshire, they were married in 1871 at Sheffield, they had 5 children.
In the 1911 census the family were living at High Street, Beighton, his widowed mother Annie is 63 yrs, she is living with her children, Benjamin 29 yrs a paper mill labourer, Frank 26 yrs a blacksmith, Walter 21 yrs a labourer, Oliver 19 yrs a coal miner loader and Frederick 17 yrs a blacksmith.
At the time of Oliver's death his mother lived at Albert Street, Station Hill, Mansfield.
Private Oliver Charles Dennis enlisted into the Notts and Derby Regiment, he was transferred to the Royal Marine Light Infantry (short service) on 16 September 1914.
He embarked RM Brigade 17 November 1914. Portsmouth Bn Mediterranean Force 28 February 1915 until his death on 8 May 1915 on Gallipoli. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial (Panel 2 to 7).
Dennis was one of 'Kitchener's Marines' who were transferred from the Sherwood Foresters to the RMLI. Des Turner notes '600 RMLI transfers came from 2 regiments - 200 from the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) and 400 from the Sherwood Foresters. They were predominantly ex-miners and labourers, fit men wanted for their ability to dig trenches and tunnels. The 200 KOYLI recruits were transferred to Plymouth Division RMLI and were given service numbers PLY/1(S) to PLY200(S). This was also the case for the Sherwood Foresters 200 who were dispatched to Portsmouth where already 30 men were recruited and so they became PO/31(S) to PO/230(S). 200 remaining Foresters went to Chatham and were numbered CH/1 to CH/200(S).'
additional research Peter Gillings
Photo of Oliver Charles Dennis
Helles Memorial, Gallipoli