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Remembered Today:

Lance cpl. H. Olliffe Grenadier Guards 25328


Marilyn

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Having recently returned from France,  where I visited the grave of my Great Uncle Harry Olliffe, I would like to find out more about him.  He died on 19/11/1916 and is commemorated on the Bourton on the Water memorial.  He lived before the war at Lansdowne .

What I would like to know is where I may be able to find the exact address in Lansdowne, if there are any newspaper reports or photos, any information about how he died ( apart from “from his wounds”, and why he would have joined the Grenadier Guards rather than a local regiment. 

I hope someone will be able to help me with this.  

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Hello Marilyn,

 

Welcome to the forum.

There's a section on how to go about researching a soldier on the mother site Long, long trail here.

However you may be be fortunate and an obliging specialist on the Grenadier Guards may see your thread and offer their insight.
 

Best of luck on your quest.

 

Cheers,

Derek.

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Hi Marilyn,

Welcome to the Forum. The 1901 census shows the family living next door but one to "Boys Board School". No doubt you have seen this and the enumerator didn't specify the exact address. Harry (Henry on his MIC)  His older brother Sidney (George) Olliffe was also in the Grenadier Guards, 68297. Records on Ancestry BUT no full address.

looking...

Regards Barry

Edited by The Inspector
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Hi Marilyn,

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Findmypast has a record for Harry which shows that he was admitted to, and died at  34 Casualty Clearing Station on 19.11.1916. His wounds are shown as:

 

image.png.96f00cd71a7bb6591a47bab22c3d6de6.png

Image sourced from Findmypast

 

Regards

Chris

 

Edit

Soldier Effects shows that Harry made a will, naming his mother (Elizabeth) as his sole legatee. A low resolution B&W copy is available (£1.50) from here. It might give an address. 

 

Edited by clk
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Hi Marilyn.....C/O Ancestry Public Tree

lKenneth George Olliffe 

Apologies if you have this...Sidney George Olliffe died 3.6.1968, Clyde,  Otago, NZ, Wife Alice Heald d.1980., son Kenneth 14.4.2004.......searching

Regards Barry

 

 

Edited by The Inspector
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The far right of the entry that Chris refers to says "dead on arrival". Poor lad

The 1911 census is as general as 1901. Address just Bourton on the Water.

Gloucester Echo has a report 28/11/16. Says he was in the employ of the butcher Mr J Yearp and Son. Played football for Bourton Rovers FC. 2 brothers in service. No pic. The other brother was John.

edit

There is a Dependent Pension card showing his mother, Address Lansdown, B on the W,

His War Gratuity paid to his mother was £3. This indicates a maximum of 12 months service before his death,

He left a soldiers will that can be ordered from

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Wills?Surname=olliffe&SurnameGrants=olliffe&YearOfDeath=1916&YearOfDeathGrants=1916&IsGrantSearch=False&IsCalendarSearch=False#soldiers

Note this is likely to just be a small entry in his paybook. Comes in the form of an image. 

Soldiers died list indicates enlisted at Stow on the Wold

I believe Guards records may be available from the MoD

Edited by Mark1959
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Hi Marilyn and all,

Lansdowne is the name of the road in Bourton on the Water. The 1901 census gives the Olliffe's address as No. 56 of the Schedule.. Next door is unoccupied and the Boys Board School is listed as No 57. In the "Description of the Enumeration District", at  the very beginning,  it states "Lansdowne and all the new houses the south side of Lansdowne". Lansdowne begins at No.36 on the schedule and the Lansdowne Inn is listed as No.70. Lansdowne ends at No 88. No.89 is High St. This should narrow it down a bit...looking

Regards Barry

Edited by The Inspector
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Hi Marilyn and all,

Every little bit of info. helps....Parish records??

Following on from Mark's post  Jesse Yearp was the butcher in Bourton on the Water, he died 1.9.1921. The son was Albert Edward Yearp. from Probate

The south side of Lansdowne as per the census 1901, is on the right from the A429 next to the River Windrush, Lansdowne still leads to High St.

20 hours ago, Mark1959 said:

Gloucester Echo has a report 28/11/16. Says he was in the employ of the butcher Mr J Yearp and Son. Played football for Bourton Rovers FC. 2 brothers in service. No pic. The other brother was John.

looking.. His brother John was a Cpl in the 4th Res Bn. Glos. regt. married 26.4.1918, Parish Church, Bourton on the Water Wife..Nellie Howse.

Regards Barry

Edited by The Inspector
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Thank you so much everyone, for your help. 

I was looking at a Google street map to try to work out the house position in Lansdowne so the last post from the Inspector is helpful.

My grandfather George Olliffe was Harry’s younger brother and only 15 when he died.

I always took an interest in family history and used to talk to my grandfather a lot.  However, I don’ t remember any details of Harry.  Although I do have a family phot with Harry included as a cameo.

When my husband and I visited Grove Town Cemetery las t month we were very moved and felt we wanted to find out more.

we are due to spend a few days near Bourton in a couple of weeks and are going to look up the home.

Thankyou everyone,again, for your invaluable help.

 

Regards,

Marilyn

 

 

 

937BB413-688E-44D3-9706-2B087F00EA85.jpeg

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His father's death was reported in 1938 according to this report in the British Newspaper Archive. 

Screenshot_20191015-100610.jpg

 

Harry's death notice.

Screenshot_20191015-100918.jpg

 

 

Edit....Sidney was in the Household Cavalry by January 1915.

 

Edit 2.. elder brother John was wounded and shown in the casualty list published locally on Oct 20th 1917...given as 30543 Gloucester Regt....Edit  ...apologies serial No corrected by clk below.

Edited by sadbrewer
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Hi Marilyn,

 

2 hours ago, sadbrewer said:

elder brother John was wounded and shown in the casualty list published locally on Oct 20th 1917...given as 30543 Gloucester Regt

 

The 30543 number appears to have belonged to a man named Sayers. John appears to be 241096.

 

image.png.6cd64181648c1dffb024ac67cc4c7276.png

 

image.png.d6cb9d7ca985dc90cfb8b7b8f8030955.png

 

image.png.9c53830e8b843221281c95350c7c5367.png

Images sourced from Findmypast

 

Looking for service papers of other men on the list, you may find a commonality (within a day or so) of actual dates of wounding, and make a reasonable inference about John. For instance there are some papers for 36819 Baldwin which show that he was actually wounded on 12.9.1917.

 

John was renumbered to his 6 digit number from his previous 4 digit number (3300) under the general renumbering of the Territorial Force in 1917 - link. It seems that he originally attested to the 5th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment in late September/early October 1914. Papers show:

 

3286/241084 Taylor - joined 26.9.1914

3289/241086 Cormell - joined 28.9.1914

3291/241088 Phillips - joined 28.9.1914

3300/241096

3316/241106 Gibbs - joined 7.10.1914

3320/241108 Hitchman - joined 7.10.1914

 

His medal roll records indicate that John was sent overseas to join the 1/5th Bn  on 25.6.1915, and subsequently served with the 2/5th and 9th battalions.

 

Under his 3300 number, there is another medical record for John.

 

image.png.bfda25f47af1566938803230ed185c4d.png

 

image.png.fcbaa269d2dd0b0ae12bcbca1b78f684.png

Images sourced from Findmypast

 

Regards

Chris

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