Censuses
1911 Census (Oakley, Ref 76)
Name Richard Claridge
Address: Oxford Road, Oakley
Building Cottage
Age: 20
Born 1891, Lambeth, Surrey
Status Single
Occupation Labourer on Farm / Student Part Time
Other people on census
Father (Head): Richard Claridge (age 53, Married 26 years, Army Pensioner, allotment farmer, born 1858 Brill, Bucks)
Mother: Rose Claridge (age 46, Married 26 years, 9 children born alive, 7 children living, 2 children died, born 1865 Windsor, Berks)
Brothers: Herbert Claridge (age 16, Single, Apprentice Wheelwright / Student Part Time, born 1895 Lambeth, Surrey)
Sidney Claridge (age 14, Labourer on Farm / Student Part Time, born 1897 Lambeth Surrey)
Frank Joseph Claridge (age 9, at School, born 25th Dec 1901 Brill, Bucks, bapt. 9th Oct 1910, Oakley Church)
Sisters: Sophia Agnes Claridge (age 11, at School, born 5th Dec 1899 Little London, Bucks, bapt. 29th July 1900, Oakley Church)
Violet Mary Claridge (age 6, at School, born 10 Mar 1905 Brill, Bucks, bapt. 9th Oct 1910, Oakley Church)
1901 Census (Brill, ref 46)
Address: Little London, Brill, Bucks
People on census
Father (Head): Richard Claridge
Age 43
Born 1858, Brill, Bucks
Status Married
Occupation Army Pensioner
Other people on census
Mother: Rose Claridge (age 36, Married, born Windsor, Berks)
Brothers: Thomas Claridge (age 10, born Lambeth, London)
Herbert Claridge (age 6, born Lambeth, London)
Sidney Claridge (age 4, born Lambeth, London)
Sisters: Rose Claridge (age 12, born St Martins-in-the Field, London)
Sophia Agnes Claridge (age 1, born Brill, Bucks)
Grandmother Susanna Claridge (age 58, born Quainton, Bucks)
1891 Census (Lambeth, ref 66)
Address: 132 Upper Kensington Lane, Lambeth
Name: Richard T.W. Claridge
Age age 3 years 10 months
Born: Lambeth, London
People on census
Father (Head): Richard Claridge (age 33, married, Occupation Sergeant, East Surrey Regiment born 1858, Oakley Bucks)
Wife: Rose Claridge (age 26, Married, born Windsor, Berks)
Sister: Rose A. Claridge (age 2, born St Martins-in-the Field, London)
Sophia Claridge (age 1, born Brill, Bucks)
Grandmother Susanna Claridge (age 58, born Quainton, Bucks)
Medals
1914 Star – Regimental number 9661, Rank Private, date of embarkation 28th August 1914. Discharged Para 392 (xxi) K.R. 3/1/16 -Termination of his period of engagement. Granted under Army Order ii of 24 Nov 1917.
Victory Medal – Roll L/106 B4, Page 795 – Discharged
British Medal – Roll L/106 B4, Page 795 – BWWW retd/Dup.) CRV 1018/B12.2.2/ 5955/Add
UK Army Registery of Soldiers’ Effects (ref 580059)
Credit £4 8s 4d Allocated on 10/17 to Widow Nellie £4 8s 4d
War Gratuity Allocated on 22/08/19 to Wid. Nellie Viner £4 0s 0d
War Gratuity Allocated on 08/11/20 to Wid. Nellie Viner £6 0s 0d
Memorials/notes etc.
Oakley War Memorial.
Cemetery du Souvenir de Longuenesse (St Omer) – Section IV, Row D, Grave 48
Waddesdon Deanery Magazine (October 1917: L/Cpl Richard Tom Claridge 26 of 5th Dorsets died of wounds)
Lance Corporal Richard Thomas William CLARIDGE
Known as Richard T. W. Claridge
Born: 13 December 1890, Brill, Bucks
Baptised: Unknown
Rank Lance Corporal
Height 5 feet 2½ inches
Weight 113 pounds (8 stone 1 pound)
Chest measurement 32 inches (Min); 35 inches (Max)
Eyes Blue
Hair Brown
Physical Development Good
Vaccinated In infancy
Slight defect Flat feet (not sufficient to cause rejection)
Married: Apr-Jun 1916 (Ref Thame 3a 2115)
Schooling Admitted to Vauxhall Street, Lambeth on 26th Feb 1894, address 78 Vauxhall Street. Left school 1st July 1898.
Died: 27th August 1917
Cause of Death Died of wounds
Age at death 27
Buried Cemetery du Souvenir de Longuenesse (St Omer)
Family
Wife Nellie Brooks (born 1884, Oakley, Bucks), remarried Thomas Viner 24 Dec 1918, Witney)
Father: Richard Claridge (born 1858, Brill Bucks, bapt 4th April 1858, Oakley Church, married Jul-Sep 1884, Windsor, Berks; died 19th Jan 1917, aged 59, buried Botley cemetery)
Mother: Rose Claridge, nee Giles (born Apr-Jun 1865 Windsor, Berks)
Brothers (4) Thomas Claridge (born 1891, Lambeth, Surrey)
Herbert Claridge (born 1895, Lambeth, Surrey)
Sidney Claridge (born 1897, Lambeth, Surrey)
Frank Claridge (born 1902, Brill, Bucks)
Sisters (3) Rose Hannah Claridge (born 1889, St Martins in the Field, London; buried 1st June 1916, Oakley Church age 26))
Sophia Claridge (born 1900, Brill, Bucks)
Violet Claridge (born 1905, Brill Bucks)
Paternal Grandfather: Thomas Claridge (born 1810, Brill Bucks,, bapt 30 Sept 1810, buried 27th July 1876, Oakley Church aged 65)
Paternal Grandmother: Susannah Claridge, nee Franklin (born 1st Aug 1825, Quainton, Bucks, buried 5th March 1902, Oakley Church, aged 76)
Maternal Grandfather: William Giles (born 1826, Winkfield, Berks)
Maternal Grandmother: Ann Giles (born 1826, Baughurst, Hants)
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
First Names: Richard Thomas William
Surname: Claridge
Birth Town: Lambeth, Surrey
Resided Town: Wolvercote, Oxon
Nationality: British
Date of Death: 27/08/1917
Fate: Died of wounds
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service Number: 25152
Duty Location: France and Flanders
Regiment Dorsetshire Regiment
Battalion 5th Battalion
Military background
Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, Special Reserve
Enlisted at Thame on 4th January 1909 for a period of 6 years, aged 18. Trade: Labourer. Religion Church of England. Initial Regimental number 7661.
Service: Based at home 4th Jan 1909 to 26 Aug 1914 – 5 years 235 days
Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion
Posted on 27th Aug 1914
Service: Expeditionary Force 27 Aug 1914 to 29 Jan 1915 – 156 days
Action: 23-24 August 1914 Mons; 23 Aug–5 Sep 1914; Retreat from Mons; 7-10 Sep 1914 Marne; 12-15 Sep 1914 Aisne; 9 Oct – 22 Nov 1914 Ypres; 21-24 Oct Lengemarck; 29-31 October 1914 Gheluvelt; 11 Nov 1914 Nonne Bosschen.
Wounded: at Pelle Chappelle (?) 31st Dec 1914 – Gun shot wound to the chest, admitted to ambulance.
Admitted 3rd Jan 1915, gun shot would to chest and left shoulder. Transferred to England by Hospital Ship Agadir
Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, Depot
Posted on 4th Jan 1915
Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, 3nd Battalion
Posted on 30th Jan 1915, regimental number 26211
Service: Based at home 30th Jan 1915 to 29 Sept 1915 – 243 days
Expeditionary Force 30 Sep 1915 to 2nd Jan 1916 – 156 days
Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, Depot
Posted on 2nd Jan 1916. Discharge of the termination of his first period of engagement1914
Medical history
Cow pox – 5 days in Oxford hospital, 18th Jan 1909 to 22 Jan 1909.
Imetigo capitis (form of ringworm) – 85 days in Portsmouth hospital 13th May 1915 to 5th Aug 1915
Cemetery du Souvenir de Longuenesse (St Omer)
St. Omer was the General Headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force from October 1914 to March 1916. Lord Roberts died there in November 1914. The town was a considerable hospital centre with the 4th, 10th, 7th Canadian, 9th Canadian and New Zealand Stationary Hospitals, the 7th, 58th (Scottish) and 59th (Northern) General Hospitals, and the 17th, 18th and 1st and 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Stations all stationed there at some time during the war. St. Omer suffered air raids in November 1917 and May 1918, with serious loss of life.
The cemetery takes its names from the triangular cemetery of the St. Omer garrison, properly called the Souvenir Cemetery (Cimetiere du Souvenir Francais) which is located next to the War Cemetery.
The Commonwealth section of the cemetery contains 2,874 Commonwealth burials of the First World War (6 unidentified), with special memorials commemorating 23 men of the Chinese Labour Corps whose graves could not be exactly located. Second World War burials number 403, (93 unidentified). Within the Commonwealth section there are also 34 non-war burials and 239 war graves of other nationalities.