Help re information on Oswald Tempest

[Gemma Dunne]

I am new to this website and just seen what an incredible resource it is.

My son has been assigned a soldier who died in action in 1918 to study, and will then go on a school trip in May to visit the battle fields and follow their assigned soldiers journey. An amazing opportunity! 
 

We are new to this area of research so any tips greatly appreciated, and we’re looking forward to finding out more about him. 
 

Information we do have:

 

-Lieut. Oswald Aidan Tempest.

-Royal Army Service Corps

-2nd Bn. The West Yorkshire Regiment

-born 1892

-killed in action in France, March 28th 1918 near Cais, at battle of Rosieres.

We have found where he grew up so will visit his house, is there a museum of the Weat Yorkshire Regiment? 
I am a bit confused about the different Yorkshire regiments and it seems to now be based on Chester which is near where we live. 
 

 

[Michelle Young]

Welcome to the forum. He was Army Service Corps attached to the 2nd West Yorks. Oswald has no known grave, and  is remembered on the Pozieres memorial to the missing. 
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1589411/oswald-aidan-tempest/

The West Yorks Regiment have their museum amalgamated into the York Army Museum.

https://yorkarmymuseum.co.uk/collections/

After you register, you can download the war diary here for free. It will tell you what was happening on the 28th March 1918 when he was killed. As an officer, he has a good chance of being named. 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14017268

[DavidOwen]

Welcome 

Oswald started in the ranks and luckily part of his service record survives on FindMyPast and most likely Ancestry too British Army Service Records 1914-1920 Image | findmypast.co.uk

[mancpal]

Hello Gemma,

he has a medal roll index card under the name Oswald ALDAM Tempest. It shows he first went to France on the 21/2/17. He was awarded the pair (British War and Victory medals). 
To view the document search ‘WW1 medal roll index cards’ and select Ancestry. This will bring up a form, using Oswald, Tempest and Royal Army Service Corps as your only search criteria it should bring his card up. I use ancestry for mics as they show both sides which in his case contains an address in Liverpool to which his medals would have been sent. 
Another potential source of research maybe to search if he features in an online family tree anywhere, the keeper may have further biographical detail and if your very lucky perhaps a small archive of pertinent belongings (letters, photos etc.). On the subject of his photograph, as an officer who died there is a chance he’ll feature in a local newspaper, if so you’ll have a face to put to the name. Such articles often contain brief details of pre war employment, parents or spouses name etc.
I hope you and your son enjoy the journey, you wouldn’t be the first new member to pop up again looking into their own families participation! It can become addictive.

Simon

An afterthought, Googling his name using Aldam not Aidan brings him up at the Imperial War Museum ‘lives of the first world war’ site. Maynooth University have a study regarding aristocratic weddings and Irish/Yorkshire connections, there may be more.

Edited 20 April by mancpal

[Chris Noble]

Hello Gemma and welcome,

Oswald has a complete biography and photo in the Stoneyhurst Magazine, Volume XIV, April 1919. If you perform an Internet search, the magazine will come up in PDF format. Just type in Oswald's full name.

Please let us all know how you get on.

Kind regards,

Chris

[mancpal]

Gemma,

if you don’t have an Ancestry subscription it’s likely your local library will offer free access and perhaps even your sons school. Even if his service record isn’t complete it’s still a bonus, the majority were destroyed during Mr Hitlers rampage. Some were destroyed by fire and others by the fire brigade trying to put the fire out.

Simon

[DavidOwen]

The link I posted above to a service record is for him as an enlisted man - his officer service file does exist at the National Archives at Kew but isn't digitised so you would either need to visit or get an independent researcher to copy it for you (usually at a very reasonable price - search the forum for suggestions - do NOT get the Archive to copy it for you as that will be very expensive by comparison) Lieutenant Oswald Aiden TEMPEST Royal Army Service Corps. | The National Archives

[Chris Noble]

Just changing computers here but I have the 'old' one still up and running. I will try and paste a link to make it easier for you Gemma

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/http://www.worldwar1schoolarchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/1919_04.pdf

I hope that works!

Chris

[Gemma Dunne]

You are all so kind, thank you so much for your time and effort in helping us- an amazing amount to be getting on with, thank you so much. 
 

Chris yes I have now got the Stonyhurst Magazine, so lots of information there, and Simon thank you for the tip re ancestry. 
Michelle and David thank you too, we’re going to delve into all your helpful links.

 

thank you!