James Herbert Buswell
1898-1967
Father Nm: James Buswell 1872
Mother Nm: Hetty Buswell 1875
Marriage Dt: 4 November1922 Banbury Parish Church to Hilda Blencowe. Note at Marriage no parents in attendance.
K comments:
Spouse comments: Hilda Blencowe [6291] born 9 June 1893 in Banbury, Oxfordshire
Hilda was a munitions worker at the Banbury Shell factory in WW1 a quite dangerous role mostly work was filling shells.
Children: Ramsay L P Buswell 1923 Warwick. Ronald William Blencowe b. 1917 Banbury possibly.
BIRTH 20th April 1898
GRO Warwick Vol 6d P 688 and 1939 Census
1911 CENSUS
A James Herbert Buswell born 1898 at 100… Kenilworth.with Parents and brother
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| James Buswell | 39 |
| Hetty Buswell | 36 |
| Jmes Herbert Buswell | 12 |
| William John Buswell | 3 |
|
|
|
WW1
James Herbert Buswell Private, 202865, 211179, 2nd Bn. Royal Berks, 1/8th (Isle of Wight Rifles, Princess Beatrice’s)Hampshire Regiment.
Herbert as he was known, was a volunteer soldier, a Territorial.. His medal card indicates service after 1915, So he may joined before or 1914/15 but as aterritorial not obliged for overseas service until 1916.
The period of time Herbert spent with the 2nd Bn. Berkshire Regiment is not known but at some time he was transferred to the 1/8th Bn. Hampshire’s and that involved moving to the Middle East to join the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in Palestine. The 1/8th Hants were part of the 163rd Infantry Brigade in the 54th Division.
The 54th Division; was composed entirely of Territorial Battalions, fought through the Gallipoli campaign landed in Egypt in December 1915; and marched across the desert from the Suez Canal. The 54th Div. took part in the first and second battles of Gaza in March and April 1917; held the left of the line in front of Gaza in June and July. Eventually, the 54th Div. was included in XXI st Corps on its formation in August. Throughout the Palestine campaign 54th Division fought unchanged in its order of battle.
1917
- July 14-15.—”The Turkish redoubt known as Beach Post was successfully raided by one company l/8th Hampshires (163rd Brigade), with one company 2/5th Hampshires (232nd Brigade), attached.”
- November 17. The Attack on Gaza. Not much mention of the 1/8th but this map shows the battalion’s position on 17th November.
Sources
- The Advance of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force – General Edmund Allenby
Medals
After the War
1922 Marriage Banbury
1923 Child born Warwick
1939 Divorce
1939 Census
Herbert a builders labourer, status divorced but no Hilda in Census. Living at 19 Saint Nicholas Avenue, Kenilworth U.D., Warwickshire, England. Hilda in Leicester also single and leather worker.
1941 Attestation Royal Artillery
Herbert James Buswell attested Service Number 1786511 but was discharged KR likely unfit for service.
Death 1967 age 69 years.
Warwick, Volume: 9c, Page: 1104
Gallery
One medal record can be found at the national archives for Herbert’s service