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Remembered Today:

Lt Oliver Guy Body - West African Frontier Force & PoW/Cameroons


Nick1914

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Dear All, are there any experts out there on the 1914 WAFF actions in which I believe OGB was made a PoW......I believe sometime before 16th Sept 1914 in the Cameroons?  He was a Woolwich commissioned artillery officer(1910) with No2 Bty in the WAFF?  DSO in 1919.

 

If a PoW in West Africa where would he have been held for the duration - locally in Africa or taken back to Germany?  Any other biographic info such as DoB/death.

 

Attached for general interest a photo I found on line from his wedding in 1920.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=oliver+guy+body+and+pow+in+cameroons&oq=oliver+guy+body+and+pow+in+cameroons&gs_l=psy-ab.3...13708.18569.0.19121.16.16.0.0.0.0.124.1213.15j1.16.0.dummy_maps_web_fallback...0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.10.783...33i21k1j33i160k1.0.9qCs8Zv0dTo

 

Many thanks, Nick

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DSO Book gives

 

dob 5 Nov 1890

Son of late RB Body of Hyde End, Shinfield , Berks.

Com 23 12 1910

Lt 23 12 1913

Capt 8 8 1916

 

From that you can get died 1974 in

 

Salisbury, Wiltshire,

 

He went missing 6 Sep 1914 and was repatriated 08/01/1916

 

He appears from history of WWFF to have been captured at Nsanakang

Edited by corisande
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body.jpg.a7815242b3bd0dbb35454aaf41fcae86.jpg

The History of the Royal West African Fr

body2.jpg.f5df2905cd8ed59330566b9812962961.jpg

 

 

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On the 1911 Census of England and Wales there is a 20 year old 2nd Lieutenant Oliver Guy Body, born Shinfield Berks, recorded in barracks at Bulford Camp, Salisbury, Wiltshire,where he was serving with 22nd Battery Royal Field Artillery.

 

As his father, (1891 Census) and widowed mother, (1901 Census) are shown as "Living on own means", it may be worth exploring the Public School \ Grammar School route as they tend to have decent archives.

 

I assume he was transferred to the WAFF prior to the outbreak of war as there don't appear to be any officers papers in the main series at the National Archive.

 

No obvious records held by the International Red Cross.

 

No obvious Civil Probate following his death.

 

Sorry but the link you've posted just leads to a google search page. From the civil records the marriage is that of an Oliver G Body to a Caroline I Sanctuary which was recorded in the Dorchester District of Dorset in the July to September quarter, (Q3) of 1920. The birth of a Caroline Isabel Sanctuary was registered in the Salisbury District in the April to June quarter, (Q2) of 1899. It looks like the couple had at least two children as far as the birth records for England and Wales are concerned -  Guy L, (Q2 1930, Richmond District of Yorkshire), and Rosemary A, (Q4 1931 in (surprise, surprise for an artillery man), the Woolwich District of London).

 

The death of "Carline Isobel" Body, born 18th May 1899, was recorded in the Salisbury District in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1988. (Suspect that's a transcription error in the original document.)

 

The 1988 probate calendar records Caroline Isabel Body, otherwise known as Caroline Isobel Body, died on the 6th June 1888 at The Old Manor, Salisbury, Wiltshire. Her estate was valued at £76,567.

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

 

Edited by PRC
Fat finger trouble on the numbers :-)
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In the 1939 Register, he and his wife are living at 16 The Close, Salisbury (quite a swish address) . He is "Col Dept Director Movements and Quartering A H O India "

 

The Old Manor, Salisbury, Wiltshire.  Where his wife died, appears to be a Mental Hospital

Edited by corisande
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And that's the photo

 

1920s_Frampton_wedding2web.jpg

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2nd Lt. Oliver Guy Body was seconded for service under the Colonial Office 17 September 1913

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28762/page/6982

And granted the local rank of Lt. whilst serving with the West African Frontier Force on the same date

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28798/page/887

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Dear All, this is really excellent and I'm glad it has been confirmed I hadn't missed anything on the ICRC database.  Info on his repatriation was most useful.

 

I'm also interested in the other officer PoWs .......I'm not on my main computer but tomorrow will check if I've got these are also PoWs from 1914?

 

Great result, thanks everyone for all your research.

 

Nick

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This is the list of prisoners released prior to those mentioned in the newspaper clipping in corisande's post #3. It was published in The Times on Saturday 22 January 1916.

Unfortunately no ranks are given and, with three exceptions, no initials or Christian names.

59cf4ee551125_CameroonP.O_Ws.TheTimesSat_22.1_1916.JPG.62592eb6ddfec2a03c5208ed19f8cc29.JPG

 

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Harry, I have just checked my list of WAFF officer casualties in 1914 and can only find O G Body as a PoW.

 

Any dates of capture/action for the 3 other officers mentioned namely:

 

Captain A L de Stretton - South Lancs - Nigeria Regiment, MC, subsequently kia in late 1917

Captain M J Parker - South Staffs - Royal Gold Coast Regiment(Sierre Leone Bn)

Lt R R Taylor - KOSB - survived the war

 

Also any experts help with additional WAFF info:

 

Dates & action Lt C Luxford(East Surrey) wounded when with 1st Nigeria Regiment? Name/any biographical 

 

Dates & action Lt Robert Scott-Moncrieff(Royal Scots Lothian) wounded with 2nd Nigeria Regiment? - ibid

 

Thanks in advance.  Nick

 

 

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I would suggest you Pm "bushfighter" on this forum.  Harry knows more than most here on Africa

 

I would also you go to the Sub Saharan Africa sub forum and put a brief post on with a link to this thread here. You are more likely to get info from those that know

 

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  • 1 month later...

You may have this information.The Campaign In The Cameroon..
    The Times (London, England), Tuesday, Oct 27, 1914; pg. 7; Issue 40678. This mentions Strettons and Taylors capture on 6th Sept 1914  at Nsanakang. Luxford is appointed to the Northern Nigeria Regiment in 1912.He is then attached to WAFF from 14th june 1918-31st Dec 1918 as an acting Major.(this is from the Times again in 1920 ! think its your man)

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For experiences as a Prisoner in Germany East Africa here are two accounts available  online

Cheers

Maureen

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  • 2 months later...

Dear Alan & Maureen, many apologies for nor thanking you for your responses.  I sometimes take a break from the Forum and simply hadn't caught up.

 

Nick

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  • 1 month later...

Your man would have stayed in Africa as a prisoner until released by the British/French as the Germans did not have the means to transport prisoners to other countries as the British did. Mahon Murphy has written about prisoners of war in Africa (and elsewhere) but I can't remember off hand whether he looked at West Africa other than South West -http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/3072/

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