Banbury, Oxfordshire

[Vagabond227]

I am looking for information regarding military barracks in the area of Banbury around the time of WW1.

My grandfather had no known association with this area yet managed to court 2 local girls, then marry one of them. As he served with the 8th Welch Regt during WW1 I believe that he may have been in barracks nearby.

[stepives]

This may answer your question. From Wiki.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Filling_Factory,_Banbury

[Vagabond227]

That certainly is a possibility, though I initially passed it by as I saw no link with the Welsh/Welch regiment. It did lead me to research if my grandmother worked in munitions but there is no known association.

[peter nicholl]

Was he wounded/ill? Although The 8th Battalion, Welch Regiment appears not to have been in the Banbury area (Sept 1914 to Feb 1915 Chiseldon, South of Swindon, Wilts and Cirencester Gloucestershire) However, a few miles from Banbury, at Lower Brailes there was the Brailles Auxilary Hospital. Is it possible that the girls worked at the hospital, or, as soldiers got better, were they able to avail themselves of the delights of Banbury?

[sandiep]

it could be that the ladies may have met him outside of the area I live 3 miles from Banbury and neasrest bases in ww1 I have been led to believe were at Bicester and Didcot and Abbingdon.
perhaps if you give the names we could find if they were elsewhere.

[Vagabond227]

My grandfather was 24838 Cpl George Albert Weech b 1891, Street (Wells), Somerset. Married Lillias Frost b 1895 Cropredy, Oxfordshire. Married 1919 in Mollington, Oxon.
in 1911 he was located in Newport, Monmouthshire
First entered a theatre of war 28 Oct 1915 (so enlisted before conscription)& served in A company 8th the Welsh Regt.

1918 @ School of Musketry, Satara, India, Wellington Bks, India and Mesopotamia (source=letters to wife)
Discharged to reserves 31 Mar 1919. Proir to discharge he writes that he was starting work in the collieries until his official discharge - the location appears to by Pontypridd.

[sandiep]

sorry I haven't found anymore than you have ….

only suggestions I can think of is maybe a relative was in same reg and gave Lilias address as a penfriend

[peter nicholl]

Where was his wife to be in 1911?

[sandiep]

I think she is in Banbury working as a servant down as Lilian Frost
Reg district 158
Ins 2
Schedule 48
piece 8294
Head A Boarding House Keeper Eliza Stranks

[Vagabond227]

Sandiep, thank you. This fits with mention in my grandfathers letters to her (no envelopes sadly) that refer to her in lodgings or references to her landlady. I even have an address in Poplar Road but that is dated 1918.

The brick wall is slowly being chipped away.