Ox and Bucks Light Infantry - Frederick Neale Thomas HULL

[GBH]

I am trying to find out a bit about my ancestor, Frederick Neale Thomas HULL. From his medal card he served in the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, 1st Battalion in Asia. Later he is shown on the medal card as having served in the Worcester Regiment.

Can anyone help me? Was he involved in the seige of Kut? If he did presumably he was not taken into captivity, as he later seems to have served in the Worcester Regiment.

Can anyone provide any further information about him?

I attach a copy of his medal card.

Many thanks

Gary

[ander11]

Hi there Gary, here are some links http://www.1914-1918.net/oxbucks.htm

http://www.1914-1918.net/worcester.htm

http://www.1914-1918.net/mespot.htm

According To his mic he was awarded Victory,British and 15 star Medals.

He enter the theatre of war 5/12/1914 in the asratic.

Goto the National Archives and get the War Diaries for these units, this will tell you what happened.

IanAnder

[janecavell]

I have a copy of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Regimental Chronicle for 1914-15 in front of me (part of the regiment's Chronicle for the Great War, in five volumes, which is a great mine of information). I see that on the date given as Pte Hull's first entry into the Asiatic theatre of war, the 1st Battalion disembarked 'at Camp Magil, above Basra'. The volume goes on to give day-by-day accounts of the Battalion's activities in Mesopotamia.

I'm not knowledgeable enough about MICs or military history to comment on when Pte Hull might have moved to the Worcester Regiment so leave that to the experts on this forum.

It is interesting to see that the card also refers to "Ind G.S. Afgn N.W.F.F. 1919": an India General Service medal with an Afghanistan North-West Frontier 1919 clasp. This would have been awarded for service in the Third Afghan War in 1919.

[Paul Nixon]

Gary

His Ox and Bucks number is certainly pre-war. Assuming it was from the series issued to the regular soldiers and not to the militia (later to become the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion) 7043 dates to the 1st week of July 1902.

Paul

[GBH]

Thanks for the information.

This is most interesting and answers something that was bothering me.

In May/June 1902 there is a reference in some correspondence that I have where his brothers reported to a solicitor that they thought there brother, Frederick Neale Thomas HULL, had disapearred at about that time. It was thought that he had run away because he could not face the prospect of looking after his younger brothers and sisters following the demise their mother and father. It was thought that he had gone to the USA or Australia as did one of his younger brothers.

I have not found any entry in passenger lists for his departure, but one of the other family history websites found a entry in the UK Census which placed him in India.

Therefore what Paul has listed all ties in very neatly.

Many thanks again for the information.

Gary

[GBH]

Since posting my last reply, I have received some information about Frederick Neale Thomas HULL from the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Trust.

Fred enlisted in the Regular Army on 3rd July 1902. He enlisted in the Oxfordshire Light Infantry with the 1st Battalion, F Company. He was posted to Wellington, Nilgris, India in 1911, and is recorded on the 1911 UK Census.

He was then in Mesopotamia on the 5th December 1914.

He was attached to the 1/1st Kent Regiment on the NW Frontier in 1919.

He was then transferred as 75203 Private, to the Worcestshire Regiment.

It seems as though he left the Army, as the next item says that he re-enlisted as 5242651 Private in the Worcestshire Regiment and then re-transferred to the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 6th December 1921.

I would be interested if anyone can suggest why the various transfers and re-enlistments .

Also anything about the 1/1st Kent Regm't on the NW Frontier.

Thanks for any info.

Gary