Memorials & Monuments
on the Isle of Wight
- Ventnor -
- St Catherine's Church William Tozer Memorial -

TO THE MEMORY OF
LIEUT. WILLIAM TOZER, R.F.A.
TOWN CLERK OF VENTNOR 1908-1916
DIED AT KUT EL-AMARA
WHILST A PRISONER OF WAR, MAY 16 1916.
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THIS TABLET IS ERECTED BY THE BRETHREN OF
THE YARBOROUGH LODGE OF FREEMASONS No. 551, VENTNOR

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, April 14, 1916 Page 1

Reassuring news has been received of Lieut. W. Tozer, who has been with General Townsend's beleaguered force at Kut-el-Amara since December last. On Monday Mr. H. Hughes Oakes received the following cable from Lieut. Tozer, which was obviously sent by wireless to Basra: - "Kut-el-Amara, 8th April, 1916, through Basra, Oakes, Ventnor. Well; inform home, - Tozer." We shall all earnestly hope that relief will soon come to our gallant soldiers in this remote theatre of the war.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, July 14, 1916 Page 1

The news circulated on Saturday that Lieut. W. Tozer, Town Clerk of Ventnor, had died of disease caused profound sorrow in the town. The only ray of hope is that the information is unofficial. Some time ago reassuring news was received of his recovery from wounds received in action, and when the Kut-el-Amara garrison surrendered after terrible privations satisfaction was expressed that for the time being at least he was safe. On Saturday last, however, Mr. H. Hughes Oakes, the acting Town Clerk and Lieutenant Tozer's closest friend for several years, received a letter (containing the following copy of a communication received from the Exeter Administration Centre) from Miss M. Tozer, sister of the gallant officer: -
[COPY]
Sir, - it is my painful duty to inform you that a report has this day been received from the War Office as follows: - It has been officially reported that Lieut. W. Tozer, 1/5th Hants Battery, R.F.A., died of disease as prisoner of war (date unknown) on steamer en route to Bagdad. Source of information was semi-official letter from Major General C.J. Mollis to General Sir Percy Lake. Should any further information be received you will at once be notified. - Major, Exeter Administration Centre.
It is significant that Lieut. Tozer has not been officially reported as a prisoner of war, neither has he communicated with his friends since April.
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The sad intelligence was referred to at the meeting of the Ventnor District Council on Monday, a report of which appears elsewhere. Lieut. Tozer had been Town Clerk of Ventnor since April 27th, 1908, until the mobilization of his Battery on the outbreak of war. He was 34 years of age. Before coming to Ventnor he was clerk and accountant to the Rothwell (Northants) District Council, and held a commission as Lieutenant in the Northants Volunteer Regiment. At the time of his first appointment, Lieut. Tozer was, we believe, the youngest Town Clerk in England. He performed his duties at Ventnor with characteristic courtesy and great ability. What is more he took an energetic part in the life of the town apart from his official duties, although he never subordinated these for any ulterior object.
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He did excellent work for the "Ventnor Week" a few years ago, and was most active in the enterprise for securing the Band of the Royal Fusiliers which played with such favour on the Pier and Cliffs in 1913-14. Just before the outbreak of war his efforts contributed in no small measure to the success of the visit of Foreign Editors to Ventnor. In the carnivals, too, and indeed in everything that tended to bring the town to public notice, Lieut. Tozer spared no effort, and in him the town had a most loyal and conscientious official.
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He was the Senior Warden of the Yarborough Lodge of Freemasons, and would have been elected to the highest position at the disposal of the Lodge last year but for his absence on military duty. The members were eagerly anticipating his return home. In private life Lieut. Tozer was much esteemed for his sound qualities and to many he was a staunch and loyal friend.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, July 21, 1916 Page 1

A melancholy interest attaches to the mention on Friday last of Lieut. Tozer's name in the list of those brought to notice by General Townshend in connection with the operations under his command. Major H.G. Thomson's name and that of seven men of the 2nd Wessex Brigade are also mentioned.
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A former resident writes to us regretting the news concerning Lieut. Tozer, and adds: - "Few officers could have carried out their work with more courtesy and smoothness than Lieut. Tozer. He was always keen and assiduous in what he undertook, and brought an initiative and energy to his work that must have been of great value to the town. I have been unable to trace his name in the published casualty lists, but I shall look deeper now with the hope of finding a contradiction of the un-official information you gave last week.
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A Ventnor tradesman relates an incident which recalls Lieut. Tozer's energy in his military duties. Soon after the outbreak of war he called and said he had important business. The tradesman replied that he supposed he had come to settle up matters in connection with the fund raised locally for entertaining foreign editors in July, 1914. "No," replied Lieut. Tozer, "that can go for the present. I have called on far more important business than that. As a matter of fact, I want your clerk to come with me and enlist." The tradesman readily gave his consent, and the employee referred to soon afterwards left for the operations in Mesopotamia, where he now is. At the time of writing, no further news has been received, nor has anything appeared in the Press, correcting or substantiating the unofficial news of Lieut. Tozer's death.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, August 4, 1916 Page 1

Lieut. W. Tozer was officially reported "missing" and unofficially reported "died as a prisoner" in the casualty lists published on Monday.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, December 1, 1916 Page 5

The Late Lieut. Tozer.
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Official information has now been received from the War Office confirming the death of Lieut. W. Tozer, the Ventnor Town Clerk. The sad event occurred after two days' illness on May 16th, 1916, on board the s.s. Jelna, the cause of death being gastro-enteritis. He had previously been wounded three times while with the beleaguered Kut garrison. Lieut. Tozer was buried with military honours on the banks of the Tigris. Several letters written by him just before his death - some of them of a pathetic nature - have been handed to his friend and colleague, Mr. H. Hughes Oakes.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, March 22, 1918 Page 1

A vestry meeting was held at the Parish Church on Wednesday, when it was decided to apply for a faculty for the erection of a memorial to the late Lieut. W. Tozer, formerly Town Clerk, who died on active service. The memorial will take the form of an engraved copper tablet and the cost has already been defrayed by donations among the Yarborough Lodge of Freemasons on the initiative of Wor. Bro. E.G.H. Wetherick. The late Bro. Tozer was Senior Warden of the Lodge at the time of his death. Permission to place a memorial in the church for Lieut. Eric Watkins, South Bank, who also died on active service, will be included in the faculty to be applied for.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, May 3, 1918 Page 1

The memorial for Lieut. W. Tozer, formerly Town Clerk, of Ventnor, will be unveiled at the Parish Church on Thursday afternoon May 16th. A special service is being arranged for, under the auspices of the Yarborough Lodge of Freemasons (551), through whose efforts the tablet has been provided. A large attendance of members of the craft throughout the Island and of the general public is expected.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, May 17, 1918 Page 1

The dedication of the tablet and memorial service for the late Lieut. W. Tozer yesterday at the Parish Church provided an impressive and solemn occasion. Apart from the local Freemasons, under whose auspices the memorial was provided, and Island members of the Craft, there was a good attendance of the general public. The late Lieut. Tozer, by his courteous and unobtrusive personality, won the deepest affection of all classes, and among Masons especially his memory will always be reverenced. His charming kindness of heart, natural and unselfish generosity and sincere and consoling sympathy for anyone in trouble were strong characteristics which always appeared to the brethren of Yarborough Lodge, in which he held high office at the time of his death.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, September 22, 1916 Page 1

At the opening meeting of the Yarborough Lodge of Freemasons on Tuesday, the presentation was made to the Lodge, as a gift from Bro. E.G.H. Wetherick, of a framed portrait of the late Bro. and Lieutenant Wm. Tozer. The photograph was taken from a snap-shot which was obtained while Lieut. Tozer was in India, and it has been faithfully and most beautifully enlarged by Porter and Co. It conveys a life-like impression of our late esteemed Town Clerk. In offering the gift to the Lodge, Bro. Wetherick made an eloquent and moving reference to Lieut. Tozer, during which he referred to his high sense of public duty and his patriotism in coming forward to his offer his life "so that we who are left at home may live." Going on to speak of Lieut. Tozer's personal qualities as a friend and of his connection with Yarborough Lodge, Bro. Wetherick, with feeling emphasis, gave expression to the deep regret which Lieut. Tozer's death has caused to the brethren.
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The Worshipful Master, Bro. Victor G. Middleton, accepted the portrait on behalf of the Lodge, and added a few appreciative remarks of Bro. Tozer's life and service. The following is appended to the portrait: "Brother William Tozer, S.W., Yarborough Lodge, 551, 1915-1917. Volunteered and served as First Lieutenant in the 2nd Wessex (Howitzer) Brigade, R.F.A. (T.F.), in the Great War, 1914-19 - Three times wounded and died as a prisoner of war on the surrender of the troops under the command of General Townshend at Kut, 1916. Mentioned in despatches. Presented by Brother E.G.H. Wetherick, P.P.J.G.W., September 1916."