A Boer War Veteran at Mons and After.

British War Medal 1914 - 1920.
L.8839 Pte. A. B. Haley, Middlesex Regiment.

Alfred Bertie Haley, the son of James and Lucy Catherine Haley, was born in the Parish of St George in the East, Shadwell, London. The 1901 Census lists the family as James, a 63-year-old dock labourer, Katherine (sic), his 57-year-old wife, and their four children, James Edward (27 yrs), Kate (21 yrs), Alf (18 yrs) and Bertha (12 yrs). Alfred first joined the 5th Middlesex (Militia) on 12th July 1901. His Attestation Papers describe him as an 18-year-old labourer, not quite 5' 3" in height, weighing 112lbs, with blue eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. He stated his religion as Church of England and gave his address as 16 Market Buildings, High Street, Shadwell, and his employer as Wilkins & Co, High Street, Wapping.
In February 1902, Alfred was given two days' C.B. and forfeited two days' pay for overstaying his pass from 9am till 8pm. This was the first of his several conflicts with military authority. On 22nd February 1902, he embarked for South Africa and saw service in the latter stages of the Boer War, for which he was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps for "Cape Colony", "Transvaal" and "South Africa 1902".
Army life must have suited him as, on 9th May 1903, he enlisted into the 4th Middlesex (Regular Army)  agreeing to serve 3 years with the Colours and 9 years in the Reserve and commenced a long period of home service. He was given 8 days' C.B. for refusing to obey an order in Dublin in September 1903 but following this his military career seems to have progressed smoothly. In 1904, he was appointed Lance Corporal and then promoted to Corporal the following year. He also obtained his 3rd and 2nd Class Certificates of Education in 1904 and 1905 respectively. When his three years of service came to an end in 1906, he agreed "to extend his period of Army Service to complete 9 years with the Colours." He was in possession of two Good Conduct Badges and his character was described as "good" but this state of affairs would not last.
On 3rd June 1907, Alfred had reverted to Private at his own request and then, four days later, he was given 10 days' C.B. and forfeited three days' pay for overstaying his pass from 2am till 11.30pm and being absent from the 6.30am parade. On 4th July 1907, he received 168 hours detention and forfeited one Good Conduct Badge for breaking out of barracks when warned for the guard and remaining absent until apprehended by the Garrison Military Police. He was also improperly dressed and drunk and had damaged public property, which he had to pay for. On 21st July 1907, he received 5 days' C.B. and was fined 8/6 for being drunk in Church End about 10pm. On 2nd October 1909, Alfred was fined 5/-, given 10 days' C.B. and forfeited another Good Conduct Badge for being drunk when parading for Brigade Duty at 5.20pm.

Despite his various offences, Alfred continued to make good progress with his military career, being trained in Mounted Infantry Duties at Longmoor Camp from 5th October 1910 to 31st January 1911. A note in his Service Record from this time states "a very hard working man who will make a valuable scout with more training."  In 1912, he also qualified as a telephone operator able "to take charge of an exchange office." In the same year, he agreed to extend his service to complete 12 years with the Colours. It was not all plain sailing though. On 29th August 1912, Alfred was given 5 days' C.B. for breaking out of barracks after tattoo and remaining absent until apprehended by the Garrison Military Police at 11.30pm. On 9th January 1913, he received 3 days' C.B. for irregular conduct on the line of march. Finally, he was admonished and forfeited one day's pay for being absent from midnight until 7.15am on 13th May 1913. However, the army was never one to hold a grudge and a note in Alfred's Service Record dated 17th November 1913 states that he "has conducted himself soberly for the last 4 years, and is a good hard working clean intelligent man, who would probably prove useful in suitable employment".
Still with the 4th Middlesex when the First World War broke out, Alfred landed in France on 14th August 1914, one of the first of the British Expeditionary Force to arrive on the Western Front. He is thus entitled to a 1914 Star Trio and the proud title of "Old Contemptible". The 4th Middlesex bore the brunt of the fighting at the Battle of Mons on 23rd August 1914. According to the Regimental History "Our list of casualties after the fight was 14 officers and 453 in killed, wounded and missing, but this number of N.C.Os. and men was reduced somewhat by over 100 men turning up later who got astray." Nevertheless, the 4th Middlesex was one of the two most heavily engaged Battalions in the battle.

Alfred served on the Western Front till mid 1916 when, according to King’s Regulations, he was entitled to be discharged from the army on the termination of his engagement. He was sent back to England and discharged on 10th May 1916. According to his Discharge Papers, he was of very good military character, and "a good hard working man, clean and intelligent" and his intended place of residence was 2 Greencoat Mansions, Victoria, London.

It seems clear that Alfred must have re-enlisted at some point and found his way back to his old Battalion although unfortunately Service Papers from his second enlistment do not seem to have survived. G/33309 Private Alfred Bertie Haley, 4th Middlesex, sadly died of wounds on 27th April 1917. He was 32 years old. The army does not seem to have connected his two periods of service at first, or indeed to have realised that he was dead, as in 1920 the Infantry Records Office wrote to both his parents at different addresses asking "will you please inform me the present whereabouts of your son, number L/8839 Private A. B. Haley, Middlesex Regiment. This information is required to enable me to dispose of the  '1914 Star' awarded him." When no information was forthcoming, a third letter was dispatched to the Chief Constable at Shadwell Police Station but subsequent enquiries at the two addresses failed to find either parent. Alfred does appear on two Medal Rolls for the British War Medal and Victory Medal, with his earlier and later service numbers, but the later entry is crossed through – clearly the army eventually realised that the two entries referred to just one man. In September 1920, Alfred's mother received his 1914 Star and in February 1922, his brother Thomas signed the receipt for his Victory Medal.

Service with Destroyers and Submarines.

British War Medal 1914 - 1920.
J.15526 C. S. Hider. A.B. R.N.

Charles Stanley Hider was born on 16th March 1896 in Winchester, Hampshire, and was the son of Randolph Hider, a gardener, and his wife Louisa. Charles had two older siblings, Mabel and Randolph Bernard, but three other children of this marriage had not survived. The 1901 Census records the family as living in the Winchester Brewery cottages but by 1911 they had moved to 67 Brassey Road, Winchester. Fifteen year old Charles is described as a "garden lad", so he was presumably helping his father with his work, while his elder brother was an auctioneer's clerk.

In 1912, Charles joined the Royal Navy as a Boy (2nd Class) and initially served with HMS Impregnable, the Navy's training establishment, and later HMS Donegal and HMS King George V. He was with the latter ship during the initial stages of the Great War and through to April 1915, during which time he was rated ordinary Seaman and then Able Seaman. There followed a couple of months with HMS Excellent, the Royal Naval Gunnery School on Whale Island, Portsmouth, and then in August 1915 Charles joined the newly completed flotilla leader, HMS Kempenfelt, part of the 11th Destroyer Flotilla based at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys. As part of this formation, HMS Kempenfelt was present at the Battle of Jutland on 31st May - 1st June 1916. A total of 14 British ships were lost at Jutland, including 8 destroyers, but HMS Kempenfelt survived the battle with no damage.

Charles Hider next spent a few months with HMS Vernon, a shore establishment serving as the Royal Navy's Torpedo School, before joining the L class Destroyer HMS Landrail from February to early May 1917. Following this, he was with HMS Dolphin, the home of the Royal Navy Submarine Service, before joining HMS Vulcan, a torpedo boat depot ship. For the first four months of 1918, he served with Submarine E.23. The E Class submarines had a complement of 3 officers and 28 men. There is some interesting old footage of E.23 on the Imperial War Museum's website here.

When the war ended, Charles was with HMS Platypus, a submarine depot ship. He was discharged from the service in October 1919 and married Annie Bennett in the same month. His full medal entitlement for service in the Great War was a 1914 - 15 Trio. The 1939 Register lists Charles Stanley Hider as a British Plaster Board warehouse foreman (heavy work) living at 2 Kelvin Road, Wallasey, Cheshire. His death was registered in the first quarter of 1966 in Wallasey.

An Artillery Sergeant in Dunsterforce.

1914 - 15 Trio.

1604 S. Sjt. H. H. Cooper, Royal Artillery.

Hubert Hopton Cooper was born on 11th January 1896 and was the second child of Hubert Edward Cooper, a cabinet maker, and his wife, Rose Louisa. The family were resident at 14 Eridge Road, Thornton Heath,Croydon, but by the time of the 1901 Census they had moved to 45 Westbourne Villas, Aldington, Hove. Ten years later, the 1911 Census records the family as having moved again and they were now living at "Carisbrook", Portland Road, Hove, and 15-year-old Hubert was working as a motor body maker for a local carriage and motor body builder.

On 14th September 1914, following the outbreak of the Great War, young Hubert attested for the Territorial Force at Brighton, agreeing to serve for four years in the United Kingdom with the 1st Home Counties Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. His apparent age was 18 years and 7 months, his vision fair and his physical development normal. He gave his address as 70 Fonthill Road, Hove. Soon afterwards, he signed Army Form E.642 by which he agreed "to serve in any place outside the United Kingdom in the event of National emergency." This probably happened much sooner than Hubert or his family expected as on 29th October 1914, he sailed for India.

Hubert stayed some months in India, during which time he was attached to the 2nd Wireless Signal Squadron, Royal Engineers, which was later sent to join the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force. He must have been a capable soldier as promotion through the ranks soon followed with him being appointed Acting Lance Corporal (1/8/16), Acting 2nd Corporal (1/9/16) and Acting Mechanist Staff Sergeant (27/3/18). In early April 1918, Hubert was posted for special service with the Wireless Troop. His last letter to his parents was dated 4th April and gave his address as: "Pack Wireless Unit, Dunsterville Force" and added that they were shortly "moving to an unknown destination."

Under the command of General Lionel Charles Dunsterville, who was the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling's "Stalky", Dunsterforce had a peak strength of about 1,000 men, including about 350 Australian, New Zealand, British and Canadian officers and NCOs, who were drawn from the Western and Mesopotamian fronts. The emphasis was on men of "strong character, and adventurous spirit, especially good stamina, capable of organising, training and eventually leading, irregular troops." They were tasked with organising local units in northern Iran (Persia) and southern Caucasus, to replace the Tsarist armies that had fought the Ottoman armies in Armenia. They were also to occupy the Baku oil fields, to deny oil and the local cotton crop to the Germans and Ottomans. Dunsterforce fought in the Battle of Baku from 26 August to 14 September 1918 and was disbanded a few days later, the troops, including the 2nd Wireless Signal Squadron, coming under the command of Noperforce (North Persia Force) in northern Iran. The picture below shows a British NCO of Dunsterforce drilling Persian soldiers.

Not having heard from their son for about six months, in October 1918 Hubert's parents wrote a letter to the army in an attempt to get some news of him. "Dear Sir", it ran, "I would be glad if you would give me any information concerning my son. We have not heard from him since April last 1918." The army made subsequent enquiries but it was not until the middle of May 1919 that Hubert Hopton Cooper was on his way back to England. He was finally discharged from the army on 4th August 1919. After the war, Hubert became the manager of a motor garage in his hometown of Hove.

The Orderly Room Quartermaster Sergeant.

Edward VII Volunteer Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
1773 O.R. Q.M.Sjt G. T. Rogers, 12th Middlesex V.R.C.

Born in 1862, George Thomas Rogers was the second of three sons born to Matthew and Charlotte Rogers. The 1871 Census records the family as living at 4 Finborough Road, Chelsea, and lists George as a nine-year-old schoolboy and his father as a blacking manufacturer.

The 1881 Census finds the family in changed circumstances; Charlotte was now the head of the family and George was a 19-year old Civil Service clerk in the War Office. They were now living at 48 Redcliffe Road, Chelsea. It seems a safe assumption that soon afterwards, George joined the 12th Middlesex Volunteer Rifle Corps, whose members were recruited from employees in various branches of the Civil Service, including Whitehall, the War Office, the Admiralty, the Inland Revenue, the Bank of England and the Post Office to name just a few.

By the time of the 1901 Census, George Rogers was living at 34 Lilyville Road, Fulham. He was 39 years old and apparently still living with his mother. He must have had a successful career in the 12th Middlesex Volunteers as he had achieved the rank of Orderly Room Quartermaster Sergeant when, in September 1904, he was awarded the Volunteer Long Service and Good Conduct Medal pictured here. This Medal was instituted in 1894 and was awarded for 20 years of service. On the creation of the Territorial  Force in 1908, it was superseded by the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal.

In May 1905, George was appointed Staff Clerk at the War Office and in 1910, he married Emily Florence Minnie Cobbett. He was in his late 40s while she was a few years younger and had two young children. The 1911 Census confirms that the four of them were living at 34 Lilyville Road, Fulham, but by 1918, they had moved to a nearby residence at 24 Doneraile Street, Fulham. At some point later the family moved to 18 Bowrons Avenue, Wembley.

George Thomas Rogers died on 9th December 1936 at Redhill County Hospital, Edgware, Middlesex, leaving effects worth just over £2,000 to his widow.