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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Captain Henry James Hambleton


mikebriggs

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Dear all

I am trying to piece together the WW1 service of Captain Henry James Hambleton and wondered if anyone out there has the War Diaries for the 1st Battn Northants from May 1915 onwards?

I haven't had chance to go to NA yet to look at his Service Record (WO374/30397), but will need to do so soon; I was just hoping for a quick short cut to some info B)

What I do know about Captain Hambleton is this:-

MIC states he arrived in France with 1st Battn Northants on 14th May 1915.

Been through London Gazette and he seems to have transfered to and from the Indian Army between 1916-1918, but this is not recorded on the MIC :unsure:

Appears to be a Company Commander in Northants Regt in 1918.

Killed with 3 of his men in the Thomas Town ambush in Tipperary in November 1920.

Only recently came 'out of the cold' (mentioned on a thread a while back)

thanks in advance

Mike

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Mike

from the Times of 6 Nov 1920

Im trying to find his grave as part of IFTC Part 2

Chris

post-4020-1253549283.png

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Chris

Thanks for posting the clip. Its got me thinking now and I don't think the man I am after is Capt Hambleton after all <_<

I've done a bit of digging and come up with the report of his ambush:-

"I wired about this case, and I will read the wire exactly as I have received it— Reference Nenagh. Police report of murder of Lieut. Hambleton, 1st Batt. 996 Northants Regiment, on 4th inst., is as follows:— On the afternoon of the 4th instant, Lieutenant H. J. Hambleton, who was stationed at Nenagh, left Templemore about 4 p.m. to motor-cycle to Nenagh. Nothing further was heard about him until about 6 p.m. when a message was received that a military officer was lying wounded on the road about two miles out of Nenagh on the Templemore road. On receipt of the message a search party was sent out, and he was found lying in a field, with a man of the farming class in attendance on him. Lieutenant Hambleton died about 5 minutes after our arrival. About 5.15 p.m. a man was cycling home from Nenagh and when near Knockalton he was halted by some men and told to turn back. He did so. Soon after he heard some shots, and, after waiting some time, he retraced his footsteps, and saw a motor cycle lying on the road, and looking over the fence he saw a wounded man, and went to his assistance, and was warned by a person he did not know to clear out or he would get the same. The farmer went away a few yards, and immediately a motor containing a number of men drove away from the scene. This man had been in the R.A.M.C. during the War, and went to the wounded man's assistance, and on ascertaining that he was a military officer, requisitioned a farmer from Resheen, who was passing with a horse and cart at the time, to look after the officer while he went for a doctor and the police. The deceased was shot in the lung over the heart by a bullet, and his left forearm was almost blown off. Death was due to hæmorrhage. No evidence can be obtained about the tragedy. It was just getting dark at the time of the occurrence. Following this murder, the troops got out of hand for a short time, despite the efforts of the officers, and committed a certain amount of destruction before they were again got in hand. Lieut. Hambleton was a most popular officer with the men, and had a very gallant record in the late War."

This is NOT the Thomastown ambush I was after. Non the less I still want to find out more about Henry Hambleton B)

cheers

Mike

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Fortunately you mentioning the existence of his MIC has given me a possible place of death - Sidcup

Will have a look for Thomastown

Chris

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Mike

nothing really for Thomastown for Nov 1920 - 2 policemen fired at but escaped

Chris

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Was your Thomastown officer definitely a Northampton, Mike?

Steve.

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Hi Steve

I'm begining to suspect that he wasn't.

All that I know is that about 3 men were killed at the time (28th Oct 1920) and apparently an officer was mortally wounded and died in Tipperary Town several days later.

Two of the men that were killed were definately Northants, which I've been able to norrow down to:-

5875693 Private T Crummey enlisted between August 1919 and May 1920

5876915 Private FA Short enlisted after May 1920

My thinking is that the 3rd man might have been the RASC driver and I have a poss ID for him.

I had assumed the Officer was a Northants, but that might not be the case. The men (mixed group of Northants & RE) were on the way from Templemore to the rifle range at Tipp Town when they were ambushed. So I've be using Geoff's search engine to come up with some possible IDs.

I have the MIC of one Officer from the RGA who apparently went 'missing' in Ireland on 1st November 1920, but the CWGC also has him dying on the 1st November <_< Now some RFA were based in Fethard close by so..........maybe <_<

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Here we are from the Times of 29th Oct 1920

post-4020-1253570800.png

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thanks for searching and posting chris

3 dead ties up nicely with what I have read

cheers

Mike

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I'll try and have a look at Hambleton this evening, Mike.

Steve.

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If you get a chance that would be great, thanks Steve

I have a couple of weeks of 2nd year genetic lectures to get through then I will have time to go to NA and hopefully try to dig out some more info on these two, now unconnected, events.

I have relevant catalogue numbers for his officer service records, which might shed some light on his movements 15-18 and post 1918.

cheers

Mike

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  • 3 months later...

okay got some good news on this....................managed to locate Henry Hambleton's grave

Just heard from the Vicar of Exminster Church near Exeter

"I have checked our records and, while the burial registers for that period are no longer in our possession, I can confirm that he is buried in Exminster churchyard. A memorial plaque in what was the Peamore Chapel in the Church reads as follows:

"To the glory of God & in memory of a very gallant gentleman Henry James Hambleton Lieut Northanptonshire Regiment who severely wounded in the Great War regained his health at Peamore & was assassinated by the Irish rebels near Nenagh 4th November 1920 in the 27th year of his age and rests in this churchyard."

Our churchyard records do not show the exact location of his grave but I would imagine that it is in close proximity to the Kekewich graves just outside the Eastern wall of the Peamore Chapel."

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

So I plan to visit Exeter in the next few weeks and pay my respects

cheers

Mike

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  • 1 year later...

Name: HAMBLETON, HENRY JAMES

Initials: H J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Captain

Regiment/Service: Northamptonshire Regiment

Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Date of Death: 04/11/1920

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: EXMINSTER (ST. MARTIN) CHURCHYARD

The plaque inside the church will be his place of commemoration

Chris

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  • 4 weeks later...

I came across this thread while researching the same man - looking at deaths of British soldiers in Ireland

My notes are on this link

He was certainly born in India, and I can be fairly certain that I have the right parents (the Mrs S E on MIC is virtually the clincher). If that is so his father was a Warrant Officer in Indian Army who died in 1915, just after a commission to Hon Lt).

I cannot find this chap's commission to Indian army, but you can follow his path through WW1 fairly well.

I found an Irish newspaper account of the ambush (don't mention the word) and it is on that link. You will note also the aftermath, which is tragically the norm for these events

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Bizarrely, I just did a bit of basic research on him two days ago in connection with another officer who joined at the same time....

Second Lieutenant

  • Embarked to France as a Second Lieutenant to join 1st Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment (on attachment from the Indian Army) on 14th May 1915 after the battle of Aubers Ridge.
  • Wounded by a shell splinter when billets at Noyelles were shelled on the 28th July 1915.
  • Served in the Indian Army 1915-1917. Transferred to the Indian Army as a Second Lieutenant on 28th August 1915.

Lieutenant

  • Promoted to Lieutenant in the Indian Army, attached to the 88th Carnatic Infantry, 15th November 1916, and antedated to 1st September 1915 in August 1917.
  • Transferred back to Northamptonshire Regiment as a Lieutenant on 17th May 1917, with seniority from 15th November 1916, later antedated to 1st September 1915 (with pay and allowances from 17th May 1917).
  • Joined 2nd Battalion at Meneslies on 22nd June 1918 as a replacement following the capture of the 2nd Battalion at the Chemin des Dames.
  • Appointed as an acting captain whilst commanding "C" Company from 22nd June 1918.
  • Promoted to temporary Captain on 15th August 1918.
  • Appointed as 2nd Battalion Second-in-Command from 15th August 1918.
  • Relinquished appointment as temporary Captain on 1st August 1919, and reverted to the rank of Lieutenant.
  • Deployed to Ireland with 1st Battalion in 1919.
  • Killed by the I.R.A. in an ambush - shot dead whilst riding a motor-cycle between Templemore and Nenagh on the evening of 4th November 1920.

There are obviously a few more bits to add to the mix, but that is my basic bit of research. Most of this is what you have already found anyway, Corisande. I think the only "extra" I have is on the 1918 posting to 2nd Battalion. I can send or post extracts from the war diary if you want them.

Steve.

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Steve

That is a kind offer, I will PM you mt email address

Funny how one visits places in ignorance of what went on in the wider picture. I was at Chemin des Dames last year - to do with Casements Irish Brigade, but probably did not do enough in depth studying before I went,

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I think I am full, Corisande.

E-mail me on xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I shall delete the e-mail address once you have got it.

Steve.

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Thanks, Got it , sending email

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I've got your e-mail. I'm sorting something else at the moment, but will sort the pics later...

Steve.

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I've reviewed the War Diaries for the 2nd Northamptons and there are several other references. As I mentioned, my review above was in respect of research regarding another officer of the 2nd Battalion. As such here are the revised entries for 1918 as noted in the War Diary:

22-6-1918 Lt. Hambleton joined 2nd Battalion

15-8-1918 Capt. Hambleton noted as being 2nd in Command

19-11-1918 Capt. Friendship assumed command of "A" Company (See below)

1-1-1919 Capt. Hambleton returns from Senior Officers School, Aldershot on 31.12.1918

2-1-1919 Capt. Friendship departs battalion on Leave (Captain Hambleton may have taken command of "A" Coy at this point)

19-1919 Capt. Friendship returns from leave and appears to have been given command of "D" Company instead of "A"

26-1-1919 Final paraded of 2nd Battalion at Brussels - Capt. Hambleton commanding "A" Company; Captain Nailer 2nd-in-command; Captain Friendship in command of "D"

10-2-1919 Capt. Hambleton proceeded to the UK (final departure from battalion)

So it would appear that Captain Hambleton commanded "C" company from June to August (?) 1918; was Second-in-Command for a while; went on a Senior Officers Course at Aldershot over Christmas 1918; returned to Command "A" company in January/February 1919; and finally left 2nd Battalion on 10-2-1919.

I will send the June 1918 to March 1919 War Diaries soon (PDF files).

Steve.

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Thanks Steve

I have updated my notes on Hambleton, it is looking a much fuller picture of the man. Returning as a Lt in Ireland must have been difficult for him

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