2nd Hampshire Regiment - Pte Arthur CAVILL

[andrewjherring]

Pte Arthur CAVILL regiment no. 7661 - Any help finding out more about this man would be gratefully received, he died 17 Aug 1918 but cannot work out where or how. His number seems quite low - was he already in the army in 1914?... He is commemorated on the Lyndhurst memorial, in the New Forest.

[Langdon]

From Paul Nixon's Army Service Numbers:

7677 joined on 8th September 1906

And from SWB records 7648 enlisted on 2nd January 1906, 7652 on 28th December 1905 and 7682 23rd October 1906

Mike

[Phil Evans]

Looking at his medal index card, the date of entry is 27.8.14, so it is likely that he went overseas with the 1st Battalion. The 2nd didn't arrive back in the UK from India until the 22nd December.

Dosinghem was the military cemetery used by numerous casualty clearing stations in the area.

Phil

[Langdon]

The 2nd Battalion as part of the 29th Division were involved in the taking of Outersteene Ridge in August 1918 - but as he died of wounds it's possible he was wounded much earlier. The battalion's war diaries (downloadable at TNA for £3.30 or free to view at Kew) may help you with context and the day-to-day actions here tho' they're unlikely to mention your man by name.

Mike

[Phil Evans]

I think there may be a typo in your opening post. Arthur's date of death is 17th August 1917.

The 2nd Battalion war diary in WO 95/2308/3 has a fairly extensive write up of the actions on 16th August 1917.

Phil

[clk]

It looks like there might be a Service Record/Attestation on Find My Past.

Arthur Cavill. Born 1885. Event date, 1905. Location: Lyndhurst, Hampshire

http://search.findmypast.co.uk/results/united-kingdom-records-in-military-armed-forces-and-conflict?firstname=arthur%20&firstname_variants=true&lastname=cavill%20

Regards

Chris

[andrewjherring]

Thanks for your replies, v much appreciated!

[jane_sandy]

AJ,

Just discovered that Arthur Cavill was married to my Great x2 Aunt. Did you ever discover any more about him?

In the 1911 Census, he is with the Hampshires in Mauritius/South Africa. Medals Rolls indicate that he was initially with 1st Bn Hampshire Regt at the outset of WW1. He clearly transferred to the 2nd sometime later.

Kind regards

Annie

[Kath]

Soldiers Effects says he died of wounds.

His widow was called Florence.

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/60506/42511_6129999_0092-00189?pid=658600&backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3dUKArmyRegistersEffects%26gss%3dangs-d%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gsfn%3darthur%26gsfn_x%3d0%26gsln%3dcavill%26gsln_x%3dNP_NN_NS%26_83004003-n_xcl%3df%26MSAV%3d1%26uidh%3d7r2%26pcat%3d39%26fh%3d0%26h%3d658600%26recoff%3d3%2b4%26ml_rpos%3d1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true

Kath.

[jane_sandy]

Thanks Kath, she was Florence Charlotte NUTBEAM.

Sadly, she appears never to have remarried - after such a brief marriage.

Looks like her husband was a career soldier - having signed up in 1905 and been in Mauritius with 2nd Battalion Hants. Wonder how he got transferred to 1st? Come to that, I wonder that he had the opportunity to get married!

Kind regards

Annie

[Guest]

 Here is what i have, researched by my late Aunty ( Mary Ranger )

[ss002d6252]

This is the pension card in respect of the widow's claim.


https://www.fold3.com/image/668416923?terms=7661,cavill

Craig

[butler]

I do not think that the photo in Post 12 is Pte Cavill

The cap badge, although indistinct does not appear to be a Hampshire Regiment cap badge

He is wearing Sergeants stripes and there is nothing to show that Pte Cavill was ever an NCO

He died at the age of 32 and I would say that the soldier in the photo was clearly older than that

 

[butler]

Pte 7662 John Pinhorn joined the Hampshire Regiment 11.6.06. As his service number is one after Pte Cavill's, this narrows down Pte Cavill's enlistment date to on or slightly before 11.6.06 

[Michelle Young]

Doesn’t look like Hampshire Regiment to me either. 

[ss002d6252]

3 hours ago, Champy said:

 Here is what i have, researched by my late Aunty ( Mary Ranger )

Can you get us a better picture of the cap badge, please ?.

From a distance, to me, it looks more like a fusilier badge of some sort.

Craig

[clk]

Hi Champy,

Welcome to the Forum.

There are some service papers on Findmypast (link) which are for an Arthur whose parents were Henry and Eliza Cavill who lived in Pound Terrace, Lyndhurst (and had older brothers called Alfred and Thomas). At the time of his attesting to the 3rd Hampshire (Militia) Regiment on the 29th September 1905 he was serving with the 4th Hampshire Volunteer Battalion. When he joined the Militia he was given the number 1250. My guess is that he used his militia service as a 'stepping stone' to becoming a 'regular' soldier in the Hampshire Regiment where he was renumbered, and served as 7661.

His medal roll records (link) indicate that Arthur first disembarked in a theatre of war on 27.8.1914 to serve with the 1st Battalion. As the Battalion arrived overseas a few days earlier (link) that might indicate that he was mobilised from the Reserve. The reason and date of his transfer to the 2nd Battalion is unknown. It might be that Arthur was wounded with the 1st Battalion. then following treatment and recuperation he was 'recycled' back to the 2nd. However, without any actual evidence, that is idle speculation on my part.

It is very unlikely to mention Arthur by name but the Battalion war diary for the time of his wounding, and subsequent death is available as a free download from here.

If you would like a decent quality image of his resting place in Dozinghem Military Cemetery, it looks like the good folk at British War Graves (link) would be able to send you one on a FOC basis.

Regards
Chris