TOPIC:

My grandfather C/Sgt George Bryan (Reg no 1561) does not feature in your database. I have his complete record f service from The Soldiers of Oxford Museum including his Boer War service from 1899-1902, Report attached Charles Whitehead

Hi
What a fantastic detailed account you have of your grandfather’s service
Having looked up the details of the two ships that are mentioned even these had interesting careers before they were scrapped
Clive

This was a boy who left home to join up at 16 to escape a cruel step father, so my mother told me. He was the grandfather I never knew as he died in 1936, eight years before I was born. I would love to be able to sit down with him and listen to his stories. My full story of him was published in the Oxford Family History Society magazine recently.

Charles - thanks for sharing what you received from the Museum of Soldiers of Oxfordshire. It contains info of general usefulness for those interested in members of the OLI during the ABW.

Must admit I was a bit surprised to read "this report will focus on his early years with the Ox & Bucks LI" as during the time your grandfather served with them they were known as The Oxfordshire Light Infantry. The Bucks part was added in 1908 as part of the Haldane Reforms.

For those not aware the Museum opened in the village of Woodstock in 2014 (a year after I moved 150 miles away from South Oxon & hence I have never visited it). Being in Woodstock it means it a visit can be combined with a bit of homage to WSC.

Their website is worth a visit and contains a "50 Objects" section which includes at least one ABW artefact.

Regards David (just off to look at your FT on Ancestry).

David - yes I was a little surprised - he was never OBLI but just OBI. Here is the handsome man being the model for the new uniform in 1903. I am sure he as proud to have been chosen to model e new uniform, but took a good bit of stick n the Sergeants' Mess for it! Charles

It will not take the picture unfortunately even though it is only 600kb.