Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Leonard Bocking


Anthony Bagshaw

Recommended Posts

Great Steve, thank you

I have sent you a PM.

By the way, it seems that Mabel married a Smith. I wonder, I just wonder....

:huh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was thinking about your missing John Smiths.... :D

Steve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haven't got any mising Smith's, have all 7 but good try!!

And not one called John

:lol::lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do have 2 Browns though! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any more news yet Steve?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All quiet on the Bocking Front.... :(

I'll try again if I don't hear anything by tomorrow.

Steve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You guys should collaborate in writing a murder mystery :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Steve, again,

Any news?? :unsure:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Steve,

Just thought i'd let you know that John has emailed me. He will give me what info he has at the end of the month, he has had a recent bereavement.

Thanks for all your help with this, i just hope that John has some info on his military service!!

Cheers again

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spoken like a true Forest/Posh/Mansfield fan.... :(

Steve.

P.S. Anthony, are you paying our fine city a visit on Easter Monday?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Andy,

Let's not tempt fate :unsure:

I really hope that we can find what his military connection is. This has been bugging me for the past 2 an a half years (ish).

Hows the book coming Andy?

Steve,

Unfortunately not mate, got to take the Girlfriend away from the weekend, i'm under orders. Thats what you get for a Battlefield trip last weekend i suppose

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Steve, Andy,

Almost sorted.....................

ALMOST!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Facinating thread - you are doing a brilliant job.

Makes a good read. (hope Leonard emerges)......

Susan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Andy,

I kid you not.

Have had an email today from Leonard Bockin (g)'s great grandson.

Info to follow shortly...................(hopefully)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Email received from Mr Bockin(g)'s Great Grandson:

The only information in my possesion is the last will of Mary Jane Bockin, his sister which mentions sister Edith Kate, Ada Mabel, brothers Herbert and Leonard (deceased in her lifetime)

I think they originated in Bottesford, but I know nothing of his death.....or life for that matter.

So we have all the family but no Leonard still.

Who is he??? :unsure:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Right,

This is really irritating me again.

I think that Leonard Bockin served as an ALIAS that wasn't detected for some reason. There really isn't any other explanation that i can think of.

Unfortunately it doesn't look like Leonard is ever going to be identified even though we know all we do about him before the war and up to 1904.

Fairly disappointed! :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I apologise in advance and I know you have already searched the GRO overseas Army deaths, but these four Bocking(s)......

could one of them be related - and maybe give a clue to the regiment? I do not even know how to interpret but anything is worth a shot.

Apoligies also for small pic. but could not upload DjViewer or Bitmap image - so had to turn it into jpg.....

post-8059-1180388680.jpg

Susan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

but these four Bocking(s)......

Susan, Have you posted the right picture? I could not find any Bockings on that page, even when I enlarged it.

Christine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Blast......

Oh, well. At least the man is no longer a mystery, even if his fate remains so...

Steve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Folks, is this really so bad?

It is true that we do not know about his military service, or how and when he died. Perhaps he was never in uniform - an agent, a CO who served in an ambulance unit - who knows?

But we have identified him.

We know that he was born in the December quarter 1883, in Bottesford. He had brothers Herbert (Jun 1874), Robert John (Sep 1877), and sisters Mary Jane (Sep 1875), Ada Mabel (Dec 1880), Grace (Mar 1886) and Edith (Dec 1887).

In 1871 you can see that there were 3 other, earlier children - Ellen (perhaps a half sister), William and Arthur.

You can find him in 1881, 1891 and 1901; in the latter he was a railway porter. (Did he stay with the railways - have you checked whether there is a railway roll of service - sorry if you've already done this - I can't remember).

You know his parents were John Bockin and his wife Elizabeth. Probably Elizabeth Geeson, married Dec 1866.

This seems to me to be one hell of a lot better than a few months ago. And pretty good work considering that until then he was a complete dead-end.

It would have been good to know which uniform and insignias he wore, but surely they matter less than his identity? He can now rest in peace.

Anthony, I think that you and your helpers have done a great job.

Noel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chris,

I really had to look hard and at first thought that this read as BOOKING but the names fall between BOCKER AND (quite clear to read) BODDICE

Taken from GRO INDEX TO WAR DEATHS 1914 - 1921 ARMY, OTHER RANKS....

It reads as follows (have put in brackets what other number it may be as the image is so bad). I am also unsure of corps - but this is what it looks like..

ALL ON CWGC SITE. so not much help really.

NAME RANK NUMBER UNIT YEAR VOLUME PAGE

BOCKING Fred pte 60317 (or 66317) R.F. Lond 1918 1.81 (or 1.01) 571

Harry pte 240194 (looks like) Supps 1917 8.1 140

Stephen rfn R/31784 (looks like) KRRC 1917 1.78 (or 1.70) 322

William pte 1409 (or 1489 or 1469) (looks like) Manch. 1915 1.15 242

Also whilst scouting round the net came across the attached link for someone looking for BOCKING(S). Apparently this lady says she has a large database of them.

BOCKING_LINK.doc

hope this may help. and sorry about the quality but could not attach the image or cut it (bit useless really but did try). sorry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Susan,

Thanks for the posts, interesting, cheers

Noel,

You make some very good points, i never saw it this way, thank you.

You are of course right in what you say, he has been identified, just not his military service. I am disappointed that his military service hasn't been found, but at the end of the day, he IS real, and we have found out quite a bit about his life as a whole. Infact, i have more on his family than i do on those who i have identified.

Thanks again Noel.

Just want to say thank you to evryone for all their help and interest with this.

Leonard Bockin, rest in peace wherever you are

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...