Enlisting Query

[Josie E]

I have a relative born in Bournemouth who served in the 11th Battalion Hampshire Regiment but enlisted in Bath in 1915.

So was it possible to enlist in a Hampshire Regiment in a Somerset town? I understand he could choose which regiment to be in - and he served as a Pioneer. Could that have made a difference?

Thanks for any help.

[TEW]

You'll have to put his name & number up together with and a link to his record. I'm sure you'll then get replies. As it is he may have enlisted in Bath in 1915 but when was he serving in the 11th Battalion Hampshire Regiment?? 1916, 1917, 1918??? He may have gone though other units before the 11th. He could been sent to the 11th with no choice. Too many possibilites.

TEW

[Josie E]

Tew, his name is Herbert OSBORNE Regimental number 15208.

I have not found his Service Record, but his Medal Card shows he arrived in France with the 11th Battalion (Service) Hampshire Regiment on the 19th December 1915 which ties in with the Battalion War Diary. No other unit or posting is mentioned.

He died of wounds on 9th April 1918 and is buried at St Sever Extension Cemetery, Rouen.

The information that he enlisted in Bath, Somerset, I have from the details added on the bottom of his Commemorative Scroll. Maybe it is an error?

[BillyH]

Soldiers Died in the Great War also give his place of enlistment as Bath.

BillyH.

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Herbert Osborne is commemorated on the City of Bath War Memorial:

Private, 15208

Hampshire Regiment, 11th Bn.

26

09 April 1918

Son of Albert and Louisa Jane OSBORNE, of "Norbiton," 17, Rutland Rd., Winton, Bournemonth.

St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France

Also appears in the Somerset County Roll of Honour.

Birth registered 1892 Moordown, Hampshire

Source:

http://www.warmemorial.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/2.html?submenu=1

Dave

[Josie E]

Thanks for the replies. Food for thought. The inscription on the Bath Memorial reads "To the Men of Bath..." maybe suggests that he was living there.

So maybe he moved to live in Somerset post 1911 Census - which would give more credence to him appearing on their Memorials - but his emotional, family links were still with Hampshire. [he is also commemorated on the War Memorial in the local church in Winton, Bournemouth].

Could it be that in 1915, someone wanting to enlist in a neighbouring regiment would also be welcomed.

[TEW]

The army would be most welcoming to anyone entering a place of recruitment, they would not be interested in where the man came from, where he lived or where he was recruiting.

You mentioned him being a pioneer. I noticed one of the CWGC call him Pnr. Osborne but the other sheets and his MIC say Pte. I think Pioneer is a mistake.

I looked at enlistment dates and places for Devon Regiment men within a certain number range and found a handful of men who recruited on the same day in Exeter but all their home addresses were the same village in Cornwall. How or why this happened will remain a mystery but perhaps they just went out on day trip or to the market and ended up having a patriotic urge. Perhaps Herbert's parents would not have liked him recruiting and he thought they might not find out for a bit longer.

I was hoping to find a few Hampshire men with numbers close to Herbert's but it's been a bit fruitless. All I found were:

15192 Pte. Lodge enlisted 2/11/14
15199 Pte. Bloomfield enlisted 29/9/14
15203 Pte. Hewitt enlisted Portsmouth 11/12/14. Previous number 5267. Posted to 14th & 16th Bns.

15216 Pte. Chandler enlisted Winchester 16/1/1915 possibly had another number of 59760

There's almost a complete absence of numbers close to Herbert's among service records which makes me wonder if they were re-numbered, although that would have to be in 1915. The majority of deaths to numbers close to Herbert's (15228-15276) are with 2nd Hampshires in 1915.

TEW

[Josie E]

Thanks Tew for your detailed reply, touching on aspects which I hadn't really considered.

It makes for really interesting reading - and what I initially thought was a straightforward query was far from it.

I guess the bottom line is never to assume anything!!

Thanks again to all.

Josie

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Josie

The Somerset County Roll of Honour, an illuminated book, held at Wells Cathedral lists him as a Pioneer and a resident of Bath.

Dave

[Josie E]

Oh that's interesting.

Because I've traced the family to the same area of Hampshire back to the end of the 18th Century I hadn't really thought of following the Somerset link.

I'll be able to picture Herbert in Bath now.Thanks Dave.

Josie

[kenf48]

15204 enlisted at Andover 12th January 1915 requested the Hampshire Regt.

15216 enlisted at Winchester 16th January 1915 shown as attested and posted at the Hampshire Depot the same day

15240 enlisted at Wincheser 13th January 1915

15262 on the other hand joined at Brockenhurst on18th January 1915 previously served in Hampshire Regt

15273 joined at Shepherds Bush 18/1/1915 and was posted to the Hampshire Regiment 26/1/1915

15285 enlisted Aberavon 19th January 1915

So not really that unusual that someone living outside the county should enlist in a county regiment, the reason why we'll never know.

Ken

[rwh]

Josie

I don't know if you're aware, but there is a booklet at the Hampshire Record Office in Winchester (their ref 54M91/PZ20) entitled 'Grave records of men from Moordown parish killed in the First Great War and buried in Belgium and France' dated c 1920s

There is no mention of Herbert in it, despite as you probably know there being a 1891 baptism in the St John's Moordown parish records for Herbert Osborne son of Albert & Louisa Jane Osborne, so perhaps the family had moved away.

For the record there is one Osborne listed in the above booklet':

"William George Osborne, 15^th Hampshire Regiment, buried Lijssenthoek (Remy) cemetery. "

He's on the CWGCsite as WG Osborne, Private, 21879, 15^th Hampshire Regiment ,30/10/18, husband of Jessie Osborne of Wyke Villa, Benmore Rd, Winton. There's a 1884 Moordown baptism record for William George son of George & Fanny Osborne

BTW I'm descended from John Osborne baptised Holdenhurst 1817 (brother of Robert Osborne bap 1820) who I think may have been Herbert's great uncle

Richard

[Josie E]

I hadn't come across that booklet, so thanks for mentioning it, Richard.

It's interesting to think of all the sources of information that had to be gathered to go into the creation of all the memorials, commemorative booklets etc. in the early 20s. And I guess for us today, other sources could still turn up and appear online.

Apologies for going slightly off-topic.

Great to find a link with your ancestor John Osborne (b1817). His brother Robert (b1820) was Herbert's grandfather. Robert was tragically killed in 1860 by a fall of stones when he was working in a well at Wallisdown. So he was 40; and Herbert's father, Albert Osborne, was just 3 years old. His widow, Harriet was also expecting a child who was born after his death in 1860 - William Robert Osborne - who is my maternal great grandfather.

A small world!. Lovely to greet a 'kindred spirit.'

Josie