Censuses
1911 Census (Oakley, ref 077)
Name Arthur William Pym
Address: Oxford Road, Oakley
Age: 14
Born 1897, Oakley, Buckinghamshire
Occupation Ploughboy on Farm / Student part time
Other people on census
Father (Head): Edward Pym (43, Married, Farm Labourer (Cowman), born 1858, Oakley, Bucks)
Mother: Rhoda Maria Pym (38, Married (Married 15 years, 7 children, 7 alive), born 1863, born Oakley, Bucks)
Brothers: Herbert Pym (9, born 1902, Oakley, Bucks)
Frank Pym (4 born 1899, Oakley, Bucks)
Sisters: Alice May Pym (12, born 1899, Oakley, Bucks)
Ada Kate Pym (7, born 1904, Oakley, Bucks)
Lucy Olive Pym (1, born 1910, Oakley, Bucks)
1901 Census (Oakley, ref 048)
Name Arthur William Pym
Address: In The Village
Age: 4
Born 1897, Oakley Bucks
Other people on census
Father (Head): Edward Pym (33, Married, Cattleman on farm, born 1858, born Oakley, Bucks)
Mother: Rhoda M. Pym (28, Married, born 1863, Oakley, Bucks)
Sisters: Annie E. Pym (6, born 1899, Oakley, Bucks)
Alice M. Pym (2, born 1899, Oakley, Bucks)
Personal information
Known as Arthur Pym
Born: 7th May 1896, Oakley
Baptised: 26th October 1896, St Mary’s Church, Oakley
Pre-War Occupation Ploughboy on Farm / Student part time
Rank Private
Died: 7th January 1921 at Nuffield Orthopaedic Hospital, Headington
Cause of Death “of diseases contracted on active service”
Age at death 25
Buried 12th January 1921, St Mary’s Churchyard, Oakley Bucks, Entry in the burial register is “Late 2/4 OBLI.”
Family
Father: Alfred Edwin (Edward) Pym (born 1856, Oakley; baptised 15th Jan 1857, Oakley Church, date location; married date, Quarter 1 1896; Occupation Carpenter; died July 1948, age 81, Little London, Bucks; buried 26th July 1948, Oakley Church)
Mother: Rhoda Maria Pym, nee Eborn (born Q2 1874, Oakley; baptised, 15 July 1874 in Oakley Church; married date, Quarter 1 1896; age 81, died September 1949, age 75 of Little London, died in Stone; buried 7th September 1947, Oakley Church)
Brothers (2) Herbert Pym (born 4th April 1901, Oakley, Bucks; baptised 20th June 1901, Oakley Church; married to Dorothy Ellen Heritage in April-June 1927, Headington District.; died January-March 1981, age 79, Aylesbury District)
Frank Pym (born 12th November 1906, Oakley, Bucks, baptised 3rd August 1910, Oakley Church; died 9th December 1987, age 81, 35 Brill Road, Oakley)
Sisters (4) Annie Elizabeth Pym (born 13 April 1894, Oakley, Bucks; baptised 26th August 1896, Oakley Church; lived at 1 Oakdene Cottages, Brill Road, Oakley died 13th November 1968 at Victoria Cottage Hospital, Thame; buried 16th November 1968)
Alice May Pym (born 28th April 1899, Oakley, Bucks; baptised 20th June 1901, Oakley Church;)
Rose Ellen Pym (born 1st January 1904, Oakley, Bucks; baptised 3rd August 1910, Oakley Church;)
Lucy Olive Pym (born 18th October 1909, Oakley, Bucks; baptised 3rd August 1910, Oakley Church;)
Paternal Grandfather: Richard Pym (baptised 12 May 1826 of Little London at Oakley Church; Occupation Carpenter; married October 1849 Thame district; died 14th May 1903, age 77, 7 Napier Road, Tottenham)
Paternal Grandmother: Lucy Pym, nee Boyles (born 1831, Little London; married October 1849 Thame district; died October 1912, Wandsworth, London)
Maternal Grandfather: Unknown (not recorded)
Maternal Grandmother: Harriett Eborn (born 1833, Oakley; baptised 14th April 1833 Oakley Church;)
Memorials/notes etc.
Oakley War Memorial. Arthur Pym was not one of the original twenty-three names on Oakley War Memorial. St Mary’s Oakley. It is not known when his name was added, possibly 1933 when the memorial was renovated.
Memorial St Mary’s Churchyard, Oakley, Bucks
Grave reference: 245
Bucks Absent Voters List Oxford Road
Waddesdon Deanery Magazine
January 1916 Recruited
July 1917 In hospital
March 1918 In hospital
Soldiers of the Great War, 1914-1919
First Names: Arthur William
Surname: Pym
Born 7th May 1896
Birth town: Oakley, Bucks
Nationality: British
Enlistment date 15th December 1915
Discharge date 22nd February 1918
Age at discharge 21
Cause of discharge Sickness King’s Regulation Para 392 Xvi. Para 2 (b) Army Order 265/17
Regiment Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
Battalion 2 / 4th Battalion
Rank: Private
Service Number 5646 / 202147
Badge Number: 332883
Age of death: 25
Died 7th January 1921
Cemetery St Mary’s Church, Oakley
Medals
Victory Medal L/106 B15 Page 3110
British Medal L/106 B15 Page 3110
Action taken: List L/A/S9
Cause of discharge A.A.O. 265/17 – Pases 2(h)
Silver War Badge 25 February 1918
Whether served overseas Yes
Age on discharge 21
Record set Silver War Badge Roll 1914-1920
Cause of discharge Sickness King’s Regulation Para 392 Xvi. Para 2 (b) Army Order 265/17
This Order was an amendment to the conditions governing the issue of the Silver War Badge. Paragraph 1 simply said that the King had approved the amendment. Paragraph 2 introduced certain classifications:
(a) those who, having served as officers and being still of military age, have retired, resigned or relinquished their commissions:
(i) after service overseas in the armed Forces of the Crown, on account of disablement or ill-health caused otherwise than by misconduct;
(ii) after service at Home, and have been medically examined and finally discharged from liability to further military service under sub-section (5) of Section 1 of the Military Service (Review of Exceptions) Act 1917, as permanently and totally disabled, otherwise than from misconduct.
(b) those who, having served as soldiers and being still of military age, have been discharged under the conditions set forth at (i) and (ii) in (a).
Records of the Silver War Badge
The Silver War Badge was instituted in 1916 and awarded to men who were honourably discharged under certain regulations which are shown below. It was also awarded in retrospect: that is, to men discharged in 1914 or 1915 who otherwise met the criteria.
Eligibility
The Silver War Badge, sometimes wrongly referred to as the Silver Wound Badge, was instituted from 12 September 1916 under Army Order 316. It is a circular badge with the legend “For King and Empire – Services Rendered” surrounding the King George V cypher. The badge had a pin for wear as a brooch.
The badge was awarded to all of those military personnel who had served at home or overseas during the war, and who had been discharged from the army under King’s Regulations. Expiry of a normal term of engagement did not count and the most commonly seen reason for discharge and issue of the badge is KR is 392(xvi), meaning the soldier had been released on account of being permanently physically unfit.
It was possible to be awarded a badge if the man had not served overseas – and if his service record is now lost this may be the only remaining evidence of service for such a soldier.
The King’s Certificate of discharge
It seems that most badges were accompanied by a King’s Certificate although strictly these were issued subject to separate regulations.
Army Orders 138 and 139 of May 1918 cover the award of the “King’s Certificate” and “King’s Second Certificate” to officers and men respectively. In the case of the latter, they had to have been discharged under Paragraphs 392 (xvi) or (xvia) of King’s Regulations “on account of disabilities contracted” following service overseas in a theatre of operations “with an Expeditionary Force in the present war” or “on account of disablement certified to be directly attributable to the action of the enemy e.g. air or naval raids” and in the case of those serving with the flying services, “disablement certified to have been caused or aggravated by military service while engaged on flying duty in connection with operations against the enemy”. Thus entitlement to the badge did not necessarily entitle a man to the award of a certificate whilst those awarded a certificate would most certainly have been entitled to a badge.