Benjamin Oakley

LEVERSTOCK GREEN WAR MEMORIAL 1914 - 1918

BENJAMIN GEORGE OAKLEY

Benjamin’s parents Rachel Bennett and Henry Oakley married in the village church on 20^th June 1874. Rachel’s parents John and Hannah were from Leverstock Green, tragically two of their Grandsons would be killed during the war, George and from Rachel's sister Hannah, Harry Woodwards. Henry's father, also Henry was from Bedmond and a shopkeeper and mother Jane came from Woburn. Henry worked as a hat manufacturer, by the 1880s he is described as a Carman.

Rachel gave birth to a son Joseph, followed by Frances and Florence in Leverstock Green before a family move to St, Pancras, London, around 1880. It was here Alfred, Albert and finally Benjamin was born during 1893. By 1901 Rachel now a widower had moved back to the Green working as a box maker in Apsley and living in Balcony, next to the Masons Arms public house, along with three sons Albert, Alfred and Benjamin.

In June 1910 a new tragedy greeted the family as reported in the Gazette.

SENSATION AT LEVERSTOCK GREEN

RETIRED BUTLER COMMITS SUICIDE

FOUND HANGING BY HIS SISTER. Mrs. Rachel Oakley found the body of her brother, a Mr. Bennett who had lived in Leverstock Green for about 7 years -he had previously acted as butler to the Cavendish and Gladstone families. From a variety of notes he left it was obviously suicide and at the inquest held in Leverstock Green schoolroom on Tuesday, the verdict was returned of suicide.

Having attended the village school and a family move to Bennetts End, Benjamin was employed as labourer, working on the farms, it was probable here he learned how to control a wagon and horses before getting a job delivering coal.

Britain declared war on 4^th August 1914 and by the middle of the month a recruitment centre had opened at No 1 Marlowes. The Gazette carried an article on the 29^th August stating only 15 men had enlisted their so far. The 9^th person was Benjamin, leaving his job with Mr Mallard a coal, coke and firewood dealer in Apsley.

From Hemel these new recruits travelled to Hertford for a medical and posting to a regiment. Benjamin’s was the 6^th Bedfordshire battalion, as private 12404, here he became a horse driver in the transport section of the head quarters company. Each infantry battalion had horse drawn waggons for transporting the equipment.

The 6^th Battalion was a “Service” Battalion raised specifically for the duration of the war, assembling at Mardora Barracks, Aldershot around a cadre of 200 experienced soldiers from the 3^rd Reserve Battalion and attached to the 9^th (Scottish) Division whilst training. With the formation of the 37^th Division in March 1915, the Battalion was transferred and join them at Andover as part of the 112^th Brigade.

The Division moved in the middle of April to Cholderton, on the south east boundary of Salisbury plain and continued training in preparation for their entry into the war. By early June specialist training was in full swing and the troops realised they would not be waiting long before going overseas.

Before going to France Benjamin receives embarkation leave and married Helen Coxhill on the 25th July.

Finally, the Battalion boarded trains at Ludgershall Station, 7 miles North West of Andover, arriving at Southampton late that afternoon. Sailing from England the same evening on board the Empress Queen. Arriving at 7am at Le Havre in France on the 30^th July 1915. Having gathered their supplies, the Division concentrated around St Omer, were an inspected by Lt.General Sir H. Plumer commanding the 2^nd Army took place before moving forward to the front.

For most of August the battalion was training and trench digging. It was on 19^th whilst digging at night the first death occurred, 2^nd Lt.G.A.Smith-Masters advanced out of the trenches and was shot dead it was supposed by a Sniper. At the end of the month all officers of the Battalion received instruction in bombing and the battalion was inspected by General Sir C.Monro Commanding.3^rd Army.

In the weeks of September each Company went in turn to the trenches, receiving instructions from experienced troops, along with daily lectures on trench duties.

A move south took place, the reason for the move was to relieve the French of the trenches in the front line at Hannescamps.

On 21^st September the battalion was considered ready for front line duties taking over a section of trench as the garrison troops. After a tour of 8 days they are relieved and moved back to billets. Before returning to the front in the middle of October, the soldiers worked on defences in the local area. There were numerous digging parties formed, to improve the trenches and to create the communication trenches that weaved back towards the billets at Hannescamps and Humbercamps. The sector was generally quiet at that time and there was much digging to be done.

A tour at the front was usually about 6 days to 8 days with around 12 days spent in reserve, where time was spent on training and digging defences, which helped to keep the men fit.

On a tour of the front in early November, trench life had become intolerable due to the deterioration of the weather. Experiencing heavy rain all day resulted in trenches knee deep in water and mud. 11^th November was reported as a fine morning but very cold. The men were all employed draining and repairing trenches. Many traverses and portions of parapet had fallen in.

Life at the front was also very dangerous; on returning from a patrol a Lieutenant was accidentally wounded by one of our men who mistook him for a German. On another occasion one soldier was killed and another slightly wounded by a shell explosion in the trench

The battalion was relived on the 14^th November which was a fine day but very cold with a hard frost and moved back to billets, these billets would be barns and houses deserted by the French. There had been 6 slight cases of trench foot on this last tour in very wet conditions. Anti frost bite grease had been applied daily and socks were sent out of trenches to be dried.

On their next tour in the front line conditions had deteriorated considerably due to the weather; trench’s were now in a very bad state. Being knee deep in water and mud, with the sides continually falling in owing to a sudden thaw. The communication trench was deep in sticky mud.

Leaving the front on the 2^nd of December and returned to billets in Bienvillers. Two days later British artillery shelled the Germans in the morning who retaliated sending about 100 shells into Bienvillers, it was noted that numerous small howitzer shells failed to explode. Benjamin and a private Walker were both wounded and later died, two others were wounded.

A soldier serving with Benjamin sent a letter to the Gazette which it published in December under the heading.

APSLEY MAN KILLED

News has been received of the death in France of Private Oakley, 6^th Beds regiment. He resided in Apsley.

No 12585 Corporal J, Delderfield of A Company 6^th Beds battalion writes to the “Gazette” asking us to publish the following

Letter of sympathy with the widow of private

Oakley, as he did not know her address.

Dear Mrs Oakley

I thought I would like to write just a

Few lines showing my deepest sympathy

with you in regard to the loss of your dear

husband, also all the boys send their sympathy

too. I am sure he is greatly missed

as he was always full of life and spirits.

The morning your husband was wounded

the Germans sent nearly hundred shells

over. Most of them dropped quite close to

us and I saw one drop in the barn where

your husband was billeted. He was wounded

down the right side. We did all we

could for him and we thought he would

get over it. He was taken to hospital at

once but I am sorry to say the news came

that he had passed away and also another

chum who was wounded with him. Several

others were wounded too.

It was rather strange that we were only

talking about trying to arrange to come

home on leave together, as my home is at

Northchurch, close to Berkhamstead and

we often used to chat in civilian

life I mean when he used to work for Mr

Mallard of Apsley. I knew him quite well

that’s why I thought I would like to write

to you.

He was quite cheerful up to the last

and was buried in a churchyard quite close

here. There is a cross with his name, also

that of the regiment on it and I think the

company is arranging to have a wreath put

on it. Private Oakley always did his duty

and was an honest upright soldier.

I will close now, again expressing all our

deepest sympathy with you.

Yours sincerely,

CORPORAL J. DELDERFIELD.

6^th Beds Regiment.

( We will be glad to hand Corporal Delderfields

original letter to Mrs Oakley if she

will apply for it at the Gazette Office)

Benjamin was the 6^th soldier killed serving in this battalion and is buried at Humbercamps Communal cemetery extension.

Link to Georges grave Plot, I Row D, Grave I.

He is also remembered on the order of service for the parish church at Easter 1919, and was named on the village school memorial, on the Leverstock Green memorial as well as Hemel Hempstead town memorial.