11th (Lonsdale) Battalion The Border Regiment
Lonal James Meek was born in 1890 at The Pludds near Ruardean in the Forest of Dean. He was the son of George William and Mary Ann Meek. The family later moved into Ruardean village, and eventually to the Anchor Inn, Lydbrook. He worked as a miner at the Arthur and Edward Colliery in Lydbrook. The colliery manager, Mr Alfred Hale, started his own Volunteer Training Corps and was zealous in ensuring that every man eligible for military service employed at the colliery enlisted.
Lonal James Meek enlisted in November 1914 as Private 2659 in the Herefordshire Regiment.
He was later attached to the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry as 20520, and was amongst a batch of men transferred to the 11th (Lonsdale) Battalion, the Border Regiment, to make up the losses that the battalion had suffered on 1 July 1916, becoming Private 27785.
He was killed in action on 18 November 1916 in the attack on Munich Trench on Redan Ridge, Beaumont Hamel; the last action of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. His family were first notified, on 17 December 1916, that he was missing, and it was not until 23 July 1917 that his mother received confirmation that he had been killed in action on 18 November 1916, aged 25 years.