Censuses
1911 Census (Oakley, ref 023)
Name Walter Thomas Taplin
Address: Bicester Road, Oakley
Building Farm house
Age: 18
Born 1893, Wotton Underwood, Bucks
Status Single
Occupation Farm Labourer
Other people on census
Father (Head): Thomas Taplin (56, married, Farm Labourer, born 1855, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
Mother: Susannah Taplin (55, married (30 years, 8 children of which 7 alive, 1 died) born 1856, Oakley, Bucks)
Brothers: Stanley Joseph Taplin (25, single, Farm Labourer, born 1886, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
Aubrey John Taplin (23, single, Farm Labourer, born 1888, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
William Charles Taplin (20, single, Cowman on Farm, born 1891, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
1901 Census (Little London, Brill, ref 044)
Name Walter Taplin
Address: Little London
Age: 8
Born 1893, Wotton Underwood, Bucks
Other people on census
Father (Head): Thomas Taplin (46, married, Farm Labourer, born 1855, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
Mother: Susannah Taplin (45, married, born 1856, Oakley, Bucks)
Brothers: Ernest Taplin (19, single, Farm Labourer, born 1882, Kingswood, Bucks)
Stanley Taplin (14, single, born 1886, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
Aubrey Taplin (13, born 1888, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
Willie Taplin (8, born 1893, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
Sisters: Ada Taplin (6, born 1895, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
1891 Census (Wotton Underwood, ref 084)
Name Thomas Taplin
Address: Wotton Underwood
Age: 36
Born 1855, Wotton Underwood, Bucks
Status Married
Occupation Farm Labourer
Other people on census
Mother: Susanna K Taplin (36, married, Agricultural Labourer, born 1855, Oakley, Bucks)
Brothers: Earnest G Taplin (9, Scholar, born 1882, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
Stanley J Taplin (4, Scholar, born 1887, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
Ashbury J. Taplin (3, born 1882, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
William C Taplin (10 months, born 1890, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
Sisters: Maud E. Taplin (7, Scholar, born 1884, Wotton Underwood, Bucks)
Private Walter Thomas TAPLIN
Personal information
Known as Walter Taplin
Born: 18th September 1892, Wotton Underwood
Baptised: 25th September 1892, Oakley Church
Pre-War Occupation Farm Labourer
Rank Private
Married: Unmarried
Died: 4th July 1916
Cause of Death Died of Wounds
Age at death 23
Buried LONGUENESSE (ST. OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY
Family
Father: Thomas James Taplin (born 7th January 1855, Wotton Underwood, Bucks; married 30th April 1881, Oakley Church; died February 1947, age 92, Little London; buried 27 February 1947, Oakley Church)
Mother: Susannah K. Taplin nee Nixey (born Jan-Mar 1855, Oakley, Bucks; baptised 15 April 1855, Oakley Church; married 30th April 1881, Oakley Church; died March 1934 age 78, Oakley, Bucks; buried 17th March 1934, Oakley Church)
Brothers (4) Ernest George Taplin (born Apr 1882, Kingswood, Bucks; married 1910 to Mary Elizabeth Hubbocks; died 1969 14th March 1969, age 87, Stoke Mandeville Hospital; buried 19th March 1969, Oakley Church)
Stanley Joseph Taplin (born 31st May 1886, Wotton Underwood, Bucks; baptised 20th May 1888, Oakley Church; died September 1969 age 84)
Aubrey John Taplin (born 22nd March 1888, Wotton Underwood, Bucks; baptised 20th May 1888, Oakley Church; died December 1972 age 84)
William Charles Taplin (born 21st May 1890, Wotton Underwood, Bucks; baptised 24th May 1891, Oakley Church; married 1913 to Nellie Long;)
Sisters (3) Maud Ellen Taplin (born 1884, Wotton Underwood, Bucks; baptised, 3rd August 1884, Oakley Church)
Ada Rose Taplin (born 21st August 1894, Wotton Underwood, Bucks; baptised 23rd September 1894, Oakley Church;)
Mary Ann Taplin (born 1896, Wotton Underwood, Bucks; baptised 27 December 1896 Oakley Church; died December 1896, age 10 days, Little London; buried 2nd January 1897, Oakley Church)
Paternal Grandfather: Joseph Taplin (born 1820, Wotton Underwood, Bucks; baptised 15th October 1820, Wotton Underwood, Bucks; died Apr-Jun 1891, age 71)
Paternal Grandmother: Mary Ann Taplin nee unknown (possibly Proberts, Broome or Holnes) (born 1824, Brill, Bucks;)
Maternal Grandfather: William Nixey (born 1818, Oakley, Bucks; baptised 17th May 1818, Oakley Church; married (1) 13th July 1840, Oakley Church to Ann Griffin; married (2) 8th April 1850, Oakley Church to Susannah Hopcraft; died 18th March 1884 age 66, Oakley;)
Maternal Grandmother: Susannah Nixey nee Hopcraft (born December 1824, Oakley; married 8th April 1850, Oakley Church; died 11 May 1907 age 83; Oakley,)
Medals
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry: Roll of Individuals entitles to the Victory Medal and British War Medal granted under Army Orders 301 and 266 of 1919:
5648 Private Walter TAPLIN
Victory Medal
British Medal
Memorials/notes etc.
Oakley War Memorial.
Memorial LONGUENESSE (ST. OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY
Grave Reference: II. C. 26.
Waddesdon Deanery Magazine
March 1915 Oakley recruit
August 1916 Died of wounds
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
First Names: Walter Thomas
Surname: Taplin
Date of Birth: 18th September 1892
Birth place: Oakley, Bucks
Residence: Oakley, Bucks
Nationality: British
Enlistment Place: Oxford
Date of death: 4th July 1916
Death Place France and Flanders
Theatre of War Western European Theatre
Type of Casualty: Died of Wounds
Rank: Private
Service Number: 5648
Division 61st Division
Regiment Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
Battalion 2/4th Battalion
Company “B” company
Information Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Taplin of Oakley, Brill, Bucks
Age 23
Cemetery Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery
Military background
BRITISH ARMY
Regiment during World War 1
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
2/4th Battalion Territorial Force
Sept 1914 Formed at Oxford.
June 1915 Moved to Northampton and joined the 184th Brigade of the 61st Division and then moved to Chelmsford.
Mar 1916 Moved to Salisbury Plain.
26.05.1916 Mobilised for war and landed at Havre and engaged in various actions on the Western Front including;
1916 The Attack at Fromelles (unsuccessful diversionary tactic during the Battle of the Somme).
OBLI – 2/4th Battalion War diary 1st July to 4th July 1916
1st July 1916
LAVENTIE In trenches and front posts. Further progress made with the saps, under considerable fire. Casualties: O.R. (Other Ranks) killed 3, wounded 2
2nd July 1916
LAVENTIE In trenches and front posts. Considerable damage done to our parapets and Communication Trenches by Enemy’s artillery. This was repaired. Work on Saps continued. Casualties: O.R. wounded 6
3rd July 1916
LAVENTIE In trenches and front posts. A good deal of hostile shelling resulted in reply to our artillery bombardment and further damage was done to our communication trench, which we repaired. The Battalion was relieved by the 2/4 GLOUCESTERS about 10 p.m. and marched to Billets at RITZ BAILLEUL. Further progress made with the saps, under considerable fire. Casualties: O.R. (Other Ranks) killed 1, wounded 6. Casualties on march – NIL
4th July 1916
RITZ BAILLEUL In billets, training and re-fitting under company arrangements. Casualties NIL.
Commonwealth War Graves commission lists 707 British and Empire soldiers dying on 4th July 1916
Four Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry deaths between 1st and 4th July 1916 were:
Frank William Hartwell, age 18, died 1st July 1916, squadron “D” Coy. 2nd/4th Bn. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hartwell, of 20, Oatlands Rd., Oxford.
Henry George Hayward, age 18, died 1st July 1916, squadron “C” Coy. 2nd/4th Bn. Son of Harry and Mara Celia Hayward, of Bodicot, Banbury, Oxon.
Alexander John Rennie, age 26, died 1st July 1916, squadron “A” Coy. 2nd/4th Bn. Son of the late William and Louisa Rennie; husband of Lizzie Annie May Rennie, of 6, Nelson St., Walton St., Oxford.
Walter Thomas Taplin, age 22, died 4th July 1916, squadron “B” Coy. 2nd/4th Bn, Son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Taplin, of Oakley, Brill, Bucks.
Cemetery / Memorial
LONGUENESSE (ST. OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY
Country: France
Locality: Pas de Calais
Identified Casualties: 3177
Location Information
St. Omer is a large town 45 kilometres south-east of Calais. Longuenesse is a commune on the southern outskirts of St. Omer. The Cemetery is approximately 3 kilometres from St Omer, beside the Wizernes (Abbeville) road (the D928), at its junction with the Rue des Bruyeres.
Historical Information
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.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.