Identifying Henry Dakin Joslin who served with 123 Heavy Battery RGA

[Capt B]

I am trying to identify Henry Dakin Joslin who I believe is in the photograph.  The photo is the postcard type and it was sent by HDJ to his wife in 1910.

 

I know HDJ would have been 31 years old in 1910 when the photo was taken.  He was a regular soldier, an instructor sergeant attached to a territorial unit in Stafford.  He stood over 6' tall and had a fine physique.

 

He enlisted in 1894 but I cannot find any record to say he served in SA.  I cannot find his medal index card from WW1, although he was wounded during the second battle of Ypres and died at home some 13 weeks later.

 

I am not that familiar with the RGA uniform of 1910 and so if there are any clues in this photo then I would appreciate a steer.

 

Thanks

[corisande]

I think  you will find that his name is

 

Henry Dakin Josling and not as you have put Henry Dakin Joslin

 

He died 9 Aug 1915

 

 

Edited 2 December , 2020 by corisande

[PRC]

24 minutes ago, Capt B said:

I am trying to identify Henry Dakin Joslin who I believe is in the photograph.

 

Am I missing something?

 

The addressee appears to have the surname Josling.

 

There is no birth of a Henry Dakin Joslin recorded in England & Wales - but mistakes happen in compiling the indexes, or transcribing to genealogy sites, or he could have been born elsewhere or his birth was registered under a different name. There is however a birth recorded for a Harry Dakin Josling in the Ipswich District of Suffolk in the April to June quarter, (Q2) of 1879.

 

And there is a 32 year old Harry Dakin Josling, a Soldier (Sergeant to the North Midlands Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, Territorial Force), who was recorded as the married head of the household at 568 Harts Hill Road, Stoke on Trent on the 1911 Census of England & Wales. However he shows his birthplace as Hadleigh, Suffolk - a birth there would not be recorded in Ipswich. The family had not been long in the area - both the children, (aged 3 & 1), are shown as born in Hampshire.

 

Soldiers Died in the Great War has a Sergeant 8554 Henry Josling, Royal Garrison Artillery, born and enlisted Hadleigh, Suffolk, who died of wounds on the Home Front on the 9th August 1915.

 

He is shown as Sergeant 8554 H. Josling, No 2 Depot, RGA and commemorated at Manor Park, London on the CWGC website. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/355314/H JOSLING/

(This is most likely the unit he was administratively moved for pay and discipline when he was medically evacuated back to the UK).

 

Agree there is no obvious Medal Index Card.

 

Do you have any reason to believe he did serve in the Boer War? Although there is no obvious match for him on the 1901 Census of England & Wales, there are plenty of other places an RGA man could have been serving.  If not in South Africa then that that the absense of medals plus age would seem to whittle down the choices enormously.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[corisande]

[Capt B]

Yes, Josling.  His story is told on our website at www.hadleighww1.com 

 

There was lots of confusion over the name in the past but it is definitely Josling.

 

We have quite a lot of info on him, but there are a few gaps which you have spotted.  The main reason for this post is to get any clues from the photo.

Edited 2 December , 2020 by Capt B

[Capt B]

[PRC]

Well you know he was a Sergeant at the time of the 1911 Census of England & Wales, and as a Regular Army man attached to a Territorial Force unit he is likely to have held that rank on the 1910 TF Summer Camp. Given the birth of his daughter shortly before in Hampshire this was probably the first camp he had been on with them.

 

I would say the men seated left, seated centre and lying down centre look too old and lack an "impressive physique".

 

Several of the others appear to have either crowns or some other insignia above their sergeants stripes. Member @FROGSMILE may have some ideas about that and whether \ what could indicate which of them are Territorial Force. Also whether there is any significance to the belts.

 

If I had to make a nomination I would go with the man seated right - if only because if he was that much taller than the rest of the men present but wasn't senior to tale centre stage, then that photographically would be the ideal place and position to put him.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[FROGSMILE]

I agree with Peter and believe he has surmised the scene and situation very well.  All the TF men are wearing the coloured girdle that was introduced around 1904, although the fellow with the row of medals is a former regular.  The two regular permanent staff are wearing the white sword belt and carriage.  The man seated at far right is almost certainly our subject.  His stature and height are manifest and he completely fits the description in the newspaper article.  
 

If a man is judged by the manner of his passing then this professional soldier was among the best and I am only saddened that he appears to have suffered greatly in his final weeks.  Today he would almost certainly have survived, but when I see what is left of men that have been through similar today I am not so sure that it wasn’t better to go in the way that he did. 
 

NB.  The two most senior men in the photo , the BSM and BQMS, are seated adjacent to each other at far left.  The coloured image below shows a field artilleryman, but the only difference with garrison artillery is that they wore trousers instead of pantaloons and boots without spurs.
 

 

Edited 3 December , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[JOVE23]

I wonder if it's possible to determine the identity of the other man who was killed when Josling was wounded?

[Mark1959]

HDJ married Emily Amelia Annie Toomer in Fareham on 5/12/1906. He is described as Bombardier, 26 Company RGA. Address Fort Wallington, Fareham. Source - marriage certificate. He is living at an address in Fareham in 1909 according to the electoral roll. His widow remarried in 1919 and became a Mrs Wormald. She died in Cosham in 1961. Probate was granted to HDJ’s eldest daughter.

26 Company were part of 1st Heavy Brigade RGA formed in 1904 I understand

HDJ appears on a War Office wounded list on 19/5/1915 according to transcribed record. But appears on a list of men wounded in a newspaper on 10/5/1915 as wounded slight. Reading top of list it says this was a list of men that had arrived on the previous Friday in a sick convoy and were being treated in Sheffield hospitals. The Friday would have been 7th May

Pension card says he died of wounds and complications.

His father was Charles and I can find him as Harry in 1881 and 1891 census returns in Hadleigh. Mother Jane there in 1881. Siblings Clara and Charles. Mother seems to have died in 1893. Charles Snr was living with a married Clara in 1901. Charles Jnr appears to have died in 1900.

Edited 3 December , 2020 by Mark1959

[Mark1959]

Also found a misindexed record for him under Gosling. Admitted to 2 General Hospital, Le Havre, 4/5/1915 with GSW Back. Put on Hospital Ship Asturias the next day. Shows 20 years previous service and 2 months in theatre.

[PRC]

8 hours ago, JOVE23 said:

I wonder if it's possible to determine the identity of the other man who was killed when Josling was wounded?

 

7 hours ago, Mark1959 said:

Reading top of list it says this was a list of men that had arrived on the previous Friday in a sick convoy and were being treated in Sheffield hospitals. The Friday would have been 7th May

 

Assuming he was wounded at most no more than 7 days before that and taking his unit from the headstone, (123 Heavy Battery), the only candidate is Acting Bombardier 30218 Norman Victor Scholey, aged 22, who died on the 3rd May 1915 and is now buried at Dunhallow A.D.S. Cemetery. He was the  Son of Percy Octavius and Julie Emily Scholey, of 295, London Rd., Croydon, Surrey. There is a Concentration Report attached to his CWGC webpage showing that he was originally in a marked grave at Sheet 28 B.20.c.1.0.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2936657/

His is the first name on the page, but working from the names on the Grave Register Register, (see for example Driver 1511 E Hargreaves RFA), it’s possible to work out that Norman was the only grave at that location.

 

Soldiers Died in the Great War records Norman Victor Scholey as Killed in Action.

 

Unfortunately the only War Diary I could readily see in the National Archive Discovery catalogue for 123 Heavy Battery covers just August to September 1915. It is also said to contain the diary for 22 Heavy Battery.

 

Long, Long Trail shows 123 Heavy Battery only going to France in March 1915 and was a Regular \ New Army unit, rather than Territorial Force.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-royal-artillery-in-the-first-world-war/the-heavy-batteries-of-the-royal-garrison-artillery/

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

[FROGSMILE]

Excellent research by you gentlemen, and telling a very poignant story in the process.  Kudos to you all.