Author Topic: can't find WW1 service record for Horace Dolton, can you help please?  (Read 6193 times)

Offline Hogsty

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Re: can't find WW1 service record for Horace Dolton, can you help please?
« Reply #9 on: Thursday 17 July 14 13:42 BST (UK) »
Hi Lee

Did you ever find anything more on Horace? This is what I have on him:

PRIVATE HORACE DOLTON
Died 23rd April 1917
No. 33621 of the Bedfordshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Born: Woburn
Resided: Woburn Sands
Enlisted: Early January, 1916 at Bedford
Horace's parents were Andrew and Elizabeth. Possibly formerly in the Bedfordshire Yeomanry, no. 2459.  The 1st Bedfords had arrived at Vimy Ridge on April 13th. An attack began at 4.45am on 23rd April, when the regiment advanced behind a creeping barrage from their own guns, as the Battalion assaulted La Coulotte during the Battle of Arras. However the barbed wire was left intact, and progress was also slowed by concrete emplacements and heavy machine gun fire. After 10 hours the attack was called off. In all, 11 officers and 320 other ranks were killed in this action.
He appears on the Woburn Sands Memorial, the Methodist Memorial, and is listed on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. He is also mentioned on his mothers memorial stone in St. Michaels churchyard, (see below) but this mistakenly records the year as 1916. His army service papers have not survived. A possible brother, 2nd Corp.. G..H. Dolton, of the Royal Engineers survived the war, and lived in Vicarage Street.
Researching Woburn Sands (was Hogsty End), Wavendon, Aspley Heath and Walton.

Offline treslade

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Re: can't find WW1 service record for Horace Dolton, can you help please?
« Reply #10 on: Sunday 20 July 14 14:57 BST (UK) »
Hello Hogsty....
Thanks for the information, it is the right Horace Dolton, I couldn't understand the transfer between the 1st Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regt.and the Bedfordshire Yeomanry because I thought soldiers kept the same Number for the whole of their service. I will get over to the church at Woburn Sands and look through it........it was kind of you to help and send the information regarding the fighting that he must have died in, how different he would have found it after leaving his quiet village behind.

Thanks again, Lee 

Offline Hogsty

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Re: can't find WW1 service record for Horace Dolton, can you help please?
« Reply #11 on: Monday 21 July 14 11:56 BST (UK) »
Here is the grave stone, sorry it's not very clear.
Researching Woburn Sands (was Hogsty End), Wavendon, Aspley Heath and Walton.

Offline treslade

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Re: can't find WW1 service record for Horace Dolton, can you help please?
« Reply #12 on: Monday 21 July 14 19:41 BST (UK) »
Thank you for the wonderful photo, it is very clear I think and readable......it is VERY kind of you..........

Regards Lee