Did Your Ancestors Serve in the Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars?

[Masha]

Hi Hangland

Did you get the discharge date off Ancestry? If not, they have WW1 pension records and service records but the service ones only go up to surnames beginning with H at present. The pensiosn records should say whether he was wounded and probably what injuries he suffered.

If not, the National Archives at Kew should have them.

Ben

It may not be possible to get all the information you would like, my understanding is that records for QOOH were lost in the Blitz. An Uncle of mine tried toget some service records and was told that they had gone up in flames! Not sure who told him this, has anyone else been given the same information?

Masha

[hms886]

Hi Hangland,

I have just discovered this website. My Grandfather was a blacksmith in the QOOH in WW1 - Claude Herbert Young. I have the book mentioned by the other members by A Keith-Falconer, and it has a list of wounded. I have found the following entry:

285491 Private R Webb 24/10/18 Battle of the Selle

Hope this helps

Helen

[Oxykeith]

Hi Hangland,

Adding to what Helen has just said It is not uncommon to get incorret data about a soldier in WW1 e.g. the regiment no. in your case. I'm not sure if you know about medal index cards but one exists for Reginald Webb. He has TWO regiment nos. (like my own grandfather) they are 2354 & 285490 (not 285491!). It also shows that he started his service on 24-May-1915 in France.

Regards,

Keith

[oxonian]

1. Pte Webb wounded Oct 24th 1918, Battle of the Selle.
2. Pte Frank Huckin served alongside my great-uncle(another Enstone man) and they were transferred together to the RE in 1917.
3. The book mentioned by Keith is presently half-price !

Soldiers of Oxfordshire welcome enquiries at our new centre near Bicester; photographs(including copies) of QOOH men would be very welcome. Any internet search will quickly find our site and details of phone and email contact details.

Mike C.

[pwenlock]

Here are the details for SOFO

Soldiers of Oxfordshire Trust
DE&S Caversfield
Skimmingdish Lane
Bicester
OX27 8TS
Tel: 01869 874352
Fax: 01869 874349

[Caroline Gath]

My grandfather (born 1898) was in the QOOH and I have a photo of him in cavalry uniform. There has never been any suggestion that he served anywhere else other than in Ireland but I can find no references to the QOOH serving in Ireland at all. Can anybody throw any light on this for me please?

[oxonian]

Many QOOH men certainly spent time in Ireland; what was grandfather's name please?

MC

[Caroline Gath]

His name was Benjamin Ravenscroft, born 27.7.1898 in Birmingham.

[oxonian]

The only Benjamin Ravenscroft that I can see with Great War service was with the Royal Warwickshire and later the Worcestershire Regiment. Given his location it may well be your grandfather; examination of his medals would confirm this. This would not preclude prior service with the QOOH, and of course it may not be him. There are unfortunately no records to confirm the names of men who served in the QOOH; Soldiers of Oxfordshire would I am sure be pleased to receive a copy of your Grandfather's photo. See details above or visit:-

https://www.sofo.org.uk/

[Caroline Gath]

Many thanks. Yes, I have seen that entry in the medal rolls for Benjamin Ravenscroft and the info on those records re the Royal Warks/Worcester regiments would fit in much better with the rest of what I know about my grandfather's life (he lived in Birmingham for all his life and had family & ancestors in Worcestershire - indeed his brother served in the Worcs regiment & died in France).

However the following factors make me think that the medal rolls man is not 'mine' - first of all I have a photo of my grandfather dressed in QOOH cavalry/yeomanry uniform so that must mean he was in the QOOH (not Royal Warks/Worcs?), secondly this information was passed to me by his wife and nobody in the family has ever suggested that he ever served in Europe during WWI, all the information is that he only ever served in Ireland.

On the other hand everyone says what a mess things were during the war so the only scenario that incorporates all these things is - he joined QOOH as a territorial soldier, that he went with them to Ireland, that at some stage he found his way into the Royal Warks, then the Worcs - both as a territorial and in both cases not being sent to France - before being discharged at the end of the war. How likely do you think that would be?

We have no medals of his and nobody has ever seen any. If memory serves me correctly the Ben. R. in the medal rolls list only has 2 of the 3 WWI medals & I'm not sure what significance this has. Again any opinion or advice would be gratefully received. Onwards & upwards !