View Full Version : William Lovelock
A friend has asked for advice on tracing the WW1 record of his grandfather
William Lovelock, b 1879 Hampshire, d 1954 Hampshire.
I've no experience of tracing war records & don't have a subscription to any
site at the moment - could someone please advise me if the info may be
available anywhere else?
Vita
There are two men of similar age: one born Andover, the other Winchester. We would need more info to be sure we were tracing the right man.
For starters, where in Hampshire did he die?
There is no death in Hampshire in 1954, but there is one b abt 1879 died 1954 at a hospital at Arlesey Beds who was from Hitchin Herts. Is that him?
kiterunner
01-02-16, 12:10
The only birth registration that I can see for a William Lovelock in 1879 or first quarter of 1880 in Hampshire is William Hopkins Lovelock, Jul-Sep 1879 Winchester district. But there is a public tree for him giving his death as 1941, Isle of Wight.
Is your friend's grandfather the William Lovelock whose birth was registered Jul-Sep 1880 Portsea district, maybe? I can't see a 1954 death in Hampshire but there is one Apr-Jun 1953, Southampton district, age 83, which would not fit with that birth - he would have been born about 1870 and so unlikely to have served in WW1.
I suspect your friend's information may be slightly garbled. As with any research, they would need to be clear about basic family history.
Then a visit to a library to look at Ancestry. That's probably the best place to find the various WW1 records, if they survive.
Alternatively there's one who died in Hants (Southampton) in 1953 but he was estimated to have been born in 1870.
There are no obvious army service records on Ancestry, as I'm sure you know a large percentage have not survived, but there are probably other army records belonging to him.
Does your friend know his/her grandmother's details in case finding a marriage might help us?!
I'll bet its the Hitchen one mentioned in post#3 - I know my friend Will is from that area,
but I'll try & get some more definitive info. Thanks, folks - hope to have more to go on
soon.
The Hitchin one's home address when he died was 40 Hampden Road Hitchin, in case that helps confirm....
Thanks Merry - I've just emailed Will to ask for more details & I'll add the address.
In case that Bed/Herts chap is the right one, having looked at his probate record, 1911 census and the 1939 register I think he is the one born in Andover that Phoenix mentioned, as in 1939 his birthday is May 1878, he's married to Eliza Worley (in 1906) and in 1911 had one child who had already died (listed as William aged 9 months) and in the last Q of 1911 he had a dau called Louisa (only surviving child?) who married someone called Taylor in 1937 and is William's executor.
Hope that helps confirm?
In case that Bed/Herts chap is the right one, having looked at his probate record, 1911 census and the 1939 register I think he is the one born in Andover that Phoenix mentioned, as in 1939 his birthday is May 1878, he's married to Eliza Worley (in 1906) and in 1911 had one child who had already died (listed as William aged 9 months) and in the last Q of 1911 he had a dau called Louisa (only surviving child?) who married someone called Taylor in 1937 and is William's executor.
Hope that helps confirm?
Definitely!Brilliant, Merry! I don't need to wait for Will's reply because Louisa
was Will's mum, known as Granny Lou, & Will is Will Taylor.
Hope he doesn't mind you mentioning his name lol!
OK, so born in Over, Hants according to the 1911 census which is Over Wallop in Hampshire according to the reg district description for Andover. (I used to live near Over Wallop!)
Not sure that is going to help with his army record!
Oops! Really don't think he'd mind but shouldn't have, I know.
Over Wallop - great name!
Re army record - I believe Mesopotamia comes into it somewhere. Probably no help
either!
There is an Army pension records for a Charles Lovelock who names his next of kin as William Lovelock, I Pevensey Cottages, New Street, Andover.
Can we find out if the chap we are searching for had a brother named Charles? They have have served in the same regiment.
Odds are that William's service records haven't survived, but we may be able to make a guess at which regiment he served in using the medal cards. Then we could search to see if there is a war diary at the National Archives, which would provide details of where he served, action seen, etc.
If he was in the Army, that is, and not Navy.
Yes, he has a younger bro called Charles who was aged 8 in 1891 and born in Andover. (they both have Andover for place of birth)
Re army record - I believe Mesopotamia comes into it somewhere. Probably no help either!
It might help to isolate the regiment in which William served, Vita. The soldiers fighting in Mesopotamia were largely Indian. There were British officers in charge who tended to be professional soldiers, as opposed to conscripts or younger men.
The following is from The Long, Long Trail.
British forces involved in Mesopotamia
(Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force / Indian Expeditionary Force "D")
The force fighting in Mesopotamia was principally one of the Indian Army, with only one solely British formation, the 13th (Western) Division. The Indian formations contained some British units.
•6th (Poona) Division (first elements left India October 1914)
•12th Indian Division (formed in Mesopotamia March 1915)
•13th (Western) Division (arrived from Gallipoli via Egypt February 1916)
•3rd (Lahore) Division (arrived from France April 1916)
•7th (Meerut) Division (arrived from France April 1916)
•14th Indian Division (formed in Mesopotamia May 1916)
•15th Indian Division (formed in Mesopotamia May 1916)
•17th Indian Division (formed in Mesopotamia August 1917)
•18th Indian Division (formed in Mesopotamia December 1917)
William's parents were living at Pevensey Cottages, New Street, Andover in 1911 with some of the younger children inc Charles aged 28.
Charles Lovelock
b abt 1881 service number 4712 Hampshire Regiment
I can't see anything for William in the same reg at the moment.
Just been having a look at the family myself, but as usual you were both quicker than
me!
Shona - I'll try & get more army info when Will replies.
Reading through Charles Lovelock's record (Hampshire Regiment), he did take part in the Mesopotamia campaign (Suvla Bay). However, he was discharged in 1916 due to asthma.
Some Hampshire Regiment units which served in Mesopotamia.
Regular Army
1/6th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Battalion
August 1914 : in Portsmouth. Bn was Army Troops attached to Wessex Division, later attached to Devon and Cornwall Brigade. 9 October 1914: Sailed for India, landing Karachi 11 November 1914. 16 September 1917: Landed at Basra and remained in Mesopotamia for the rest of the war, attached to 52nd Brigade, 17th Indian Division.
2nd Battalion
August 1914: in Mhow, India. Returned to England, arriving at Plymouth 22 December 1914. Moved to Romsey and on 13 February 1915 to Stratford-upon-Avon. 13 February 1915: Came under orders of 88th Brigade in 29th Division. Moved to Warwick. Sailed from Avonmouth on 29 March 1915 for Gallipoli, going via Egypt. Landed at Cape Helles on 25 April 1915. January 1916: Evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt. 20 March 1916: Landed at Marseilles for service in France.
Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion
August 1914: In Winchester. Part of Hampshire Brigade in Wessex Division. 9 October 1914: Sailed for India, landing Karachi 11 November 1914. Attached to 4th (Rawalpindi) Brigade in 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division in January 1915. 18 March 1915: Landed at Basra with 33rd Indian Brigade and remained in Mesopotamia and Persia for the rest of the war. Battalion HQ and one Company were captured at Kut-el-Amara on 29 April 1916. The remainder formed a Composite Bn with the 1/5th Bn, the Buffs, and - attached to 35th Indian Brigade - transferred to 14th Indian Division. November 1916, transferred to 36th Indian Brigade. 2 January 1918: Entered Persia with Lt Col Matthews' Column. C Company occupied Krasnodovsk on 26 August and pushed on to Merv; D Company occupied Resht and Enzeli. A small detachment under Lt Fisher occupied Baku between 4 August and 15 September 1918. In November Battalion HQ was at Zinjan. In June 1919 two Companies were attached to Lt Col Matthews' Motor Mobile Column and fought at Resht in August 1919.
2/7th Battalion
Formed at Bournemouth in September 1914 as a home service ("second line") unit. Became part of 2/1st Hampshire Brigade in 2nd Wessex Division. 13 December 1914: Sailed for India, and in September 1917 left for Mesopotamia, arriving Basra on 11 September 1917. Placed onto Lines of Communication work. September 1918: Attached to 38th Indian Brigade, 13th Indian Division.
New Armies
10th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Winchester in August 1914 as part of K1 and moved to Dublin, attached as Army Troops to 10th (Irish) Division. Moved to Mullingar in September. March 1915: Moved to the Curragh and transferred to 29th Brigade in same Division. Moved to Basingstoke in May 1915. Sailed from Liverpool on 7 July 1915 and going via Mudros landed at Gallipoli 6 August 1915. 6 October 1915: Landed at Salonika. 2 November 1916: Transferred to 82nd Brigade in 27th Division.
12th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Winchester in October 1914 as part of K3 and came under orders of 79th Brigade in 26th Division. Moved to Codford but by November 1914 was in billets in Basingstoke. Moved to Bath in March 1915 and on to Sutton Veny in May. Landed in France in September 1915 but was soon sent to Salonika, arriving 25 November 1915.
kiterunner
01-02-16, 14:17
On the 1918 electoral register a George Lovelock and a William Lovelock are listed at 92 New Street, Andover. Doesn't really help but I guess it means there is no point looking for him in the Absent Voters' Lists (I did have a quick look but no luck).
On the 1918 electoral register a George Lovelock and a William Lovelock are listed at 92 New Street, Andover
I should think that's Charles and William's father and their younger bro, George.
William jr and his wife Eliza were in Camberwell in 1911, but seem to have moved to the St Neots area (reg district) for their dau's marriage in 1937 and for the 1939 register.
Looked through the medal card images and I can't see anything obvious for William Lovelock.
His brother Charles was a bricklayer by trade according to his WW1 pension record. He also received the Victory, British and 1915 Star medals - theatre of war was the Balkans.
Great work as usual, girls. Well done & thanks so much.
Pity William isn't proving as helpful as Charles.
...unless the stories about William and Charles have been mied up. I was given info on OH's grandfather's military escapades. Most were untrue and related to OH's grandfather's older brother, who also served in the same regiment.
...unless the stories about William and Charles have been mied up. I was given info on OH's grandfather's military escapades. Most were untrue and related to OH's grandfather's older brother, who also served in the same regiment.
Must admit that did cross my mind, Shona. Will try & find out more from Will.
kiterunner
01-02-16, 16:24
This is the info about George from the 1920 Absent Voters List (disproving my theory that it would be a waste of time looking! I'd forgotten how difficult it is to find people in that database.)
Lovelock, George 92, New St, 548619 Pte, 802 Labour Corps
Thanks, Kite. I think we can forget about William being in Mesopotamia - seems like it
was Charles after all. Thanks to all who searched.
Awaiting confirmation that William & not Charles served in Salonika. To be continued .....
vBulletin® v3.8.7 PL3, Copyright ©2000-2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.