Biography of Private William Arthur Oakden (7010)
1st battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
6260 The Kent R.G.A Militia
Died 14th November 1914

Mother

• Name: Ellen Horwood
• DOB: 1857
• Place Of Birth: Lacey Green, Buckinghamshire, England
• Marriage: 1882 Lambeth, Surrey, England

• None found

Wife’s parents

• Father: Robert Cross (Step Father)
• Mother: Edna Goody

Newspaper Mentions

• Grantham Journal Saturday 19th December 1914
  REPORTED KILLED AT THE FRONT. – News was received on Tuesday morning that P.c. Oakden, who had been called up on the reserve, had been killed in action.  The news was conveyed in a letter to Mrs. Oakden by the Quartermaster from the seat of war, but up to the time of writing no confirmation had been reieved from the War Office.  P.c. Oakden was married only on August 1st, and on the following day recieved notice to rejoin his regiment.  Mrs Oakden has continued jer residence at Bourne, and when the news became known there were many expressions of sympathy for her.

• Grantham Journal Saturday 30th January 1915
  THE DEATH OF P.C. OAKDEN – Confirmation was receieved on Thursday morning of the death of P.c. Oakden, killed in action on Nov. 14th.  Within the past month, the War Office stated, in reply to an equiry, that the latest information was that Mr. Oakden was serving with his regiment.  The present bad news adds to the sadness of his young widow, who was maturally buoyed up by the hope that the rumour of his death was incorrect.

• Sheffield Daily Telegraph Thursday 4th March 1915
  Under date 6th Febrauary:-
  KILLED
  Oakden (7010), W., Berks.

• The Scotsman Thursday 4th March 1915
  Under date 6th February
  KILLED
  Oakden, 7010, W., Berks.

• Ablingdon Free Press Friday 5th March 1915
  CASUALTIES OF THE BERKS REGT.
  A FURTHER LIST.
  The following further casualties in the Berks Regiment are announced:-
  KILLED
  Oakden, W., 7010

• Berkshire Chronicle Friday 5th March 1915
  THE CASUALTY LIST.
  HEAVY BERKS LOSSES>
  MANY KILLED.
  This week’s casualty list contains the names of many Berkshire men who have laid down their lives for their country.
  ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGIMENT.
  N.C.o.’S AND MEN KILLED.
  Private W. Oakden, 7010

• Reading Mercury Saturday 6th March 1915
  CASUALTY LIST.
  ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGIMENT
  N.C.O.’S AND MEN KILLED
  Private W. Oakden, 7010.

Military Records

Medals

• The British Medal
• The Victory Medal
• The 14 Star

Memorials

• UK:
• Bourne, Roll of Honour in Bourne Abbey Church
• Bourne War Memorial in the Memorial Gardens

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
• In memory of Private William Arthur Oakden, 7010, 1st Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment who died on 14 November 1914 Age 27
• Son of Mr. and Mrs. Oakden, of Leyton, Essex, husband of Mrs. F. Coulson (formerly Oakden), of 23, St. Paul’s St., Stamford, Lincs.
• Remembered with honour, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial
• Panel 45.

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

Biography – Military Service Timeline

William was born in Camberwell 1886, his birth being registered in the April to June Quarter in the Lambeth Registration District. He was the son of Arthur John Oakden and Ellen Horwood. Arthur was born in Camberwell in 1861 and worked as a Mercantile Clerk (Ship Brokers) and Ellen was born in 1857 in Lacey Green, Buckinghamshire. The couple’s marriage was registered in 1882 in Lambeth.

They first settled in Camberwell but later moved to Leytonstone where their youngest two children were born. They had eight children in all:

• Ellen Hosking Oakden, 1883, Camberwell
• Arthur Percy Oakden, 1884, Camberwell
• William Arthur Oakden, 1886, Camberwell
• Winifred Emily Oakden, 1888, Camberwell
• Hilda Maud Oakden, 1890, Camberwell
• Norman Edward Oakden, 1892, Camberwell
• Clifford Stanley Oakden, 1896, Leytonstone
• Albert Cecil Oakden, 1898, Leytonstone

After his birth registration, William can next be seen in records on the 1891 census where he is living at No1 Sansom Street Camberwell with his parents. At this time Arthur is 30 years old and working as a clerk. Also in the household we find 31 year old Ellen and lists her birth as Princes Risborough, plus six children aged between 11 months and 7 years old the eldest four all listed as scholars.

In 1901 we now find that the census return shows that the family are living in Brockley, a part of Lewisham parish, at 97 Howson Road. Arthur Oakden is now working as a Tobacco traveller (Travelling salesman in the tobacco trade). Ellen and seven of the children are also listed. Eldest Ellen has left home and both Percy (16) and William (14) are working ads commercial clerks. The two youngest children, Clifford and Albert are both show as being born in Leytonstone Essex and so its possible that the family moved there between the two census return in south London.

William appears in an attestation paper in 1902 when he attested to the Kent Royal Garisson Artillery Militia.

The attestation tells us quite a lot of information. He is still living at 97 Howson Road, Brockley being the family home. William answers the question about address of current or last master as Furze and Jones of 90 Cannon Street in London. . The company was a part of Thomas H Furze and co  wine and brandy merchants. We know William worked as a clerk and also stated on the attestation that he was not an apprentice.

William was at the time of the attestation serving with the 4th battalion East Surrey Regiment. 4th battalions were typically militia or Volunteer battalions and He was willing to be attested for a term of six years.

On a personal level we can now see that William Oakden was 5 feet 10 inches in height and weighed 113 pounds. He had a pale complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. It also looks like he had an anchor tattoo on his left forearm, scarring from a groin operation and moles on his face, neck, chest, belly and back.

On the 18th November 1902 William was considered fit for duty and his attestation was approved the next day and appointed to the royal artillery. He was given the rank of Gunner, the regimental number of 6260 and would serve from the 19th November 1902 to 20th January 1903, a period of 49 days.

We have no further information about this phase of a military career as the next mention we have in military papers would be on the outbreak of the Great War.

William is next found on the 1911 census where he is living with his parents at 61 Ruckholt Road, Leyton, Essex. The census gives him an age of 24 and he is listed as a Canvasser (photography). Father Arthur now 51 is working as a mercantile clerk for a ship brokers. William is the eldest child still living at home at the age of 24 and is working on his own account as a canvasser (door to door salesman) in Photography . Hilda (20) is working as a shop assistant in a drapery, Norman (18) a stock broker’s clerk and Clifford (14) an office boy. The house they now lived in was a six room house, this description did not count and Scullery, Landing, Lobby, Closet, bathroom nor warehouse office or shop. Thus we can assume that the family are doing well for themselves.

William was to become a Police Constable and was living in Bourne by May 1913.  We can see him appearing in several accounts in Newspapers including the Lincolnshire Echo, regarding to cases brought before the court where he was involved as a PC.

William was married in Bourne on the 1st of August 1914 to Eva Goody and a newspaper article tells that the following day he was called up from Army Reserve to rejoin his regiment, although this may have been not quite correct as this would have been before war was declared.

Eva Annie Goody was born in Glemsford near Sudbury, Suffolk, on the 17th November 1890, the daughter of Edna Goody who at the time of Eva and William’s marriage in 1914, had remarried to Robert Cross.

Eva had lived in Bourne since at least 1911 when she (Eva Annie Cross) was working as a cook at Brook Lodge for Dr Gilpin.

In the Soldier’s Died in the Great War Register, we find that Willaim Oakden was resident in Glemsford when he enlisted in London although no date is given, Glemsford being Eva’s parent’s home village in 1911 and again in 1921.

The battalion that William ‘rejoined’ was the 1st Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment as a private with the regimental number of 7010. At the declaration of war many reservists were recalled back to their battalions and the 1st battalion being a regular battalion were immediately mobilised for war as we can see from their regimental history and battalion diary.

Thus we have to assume that after his time with the Militia of the Royal garrison Artillery and East Kents that he served with the Berkshire regiment. His regimental number of 7010 would indicate that he joined the Berkshire’s early in 1903 which actually ties in with the end of the 49 days he served with the Royal Artillery militia.

Unfortunately as with 60% of all WW1 records, William’s no longer survive and are believed to have been destroyed in the London Blitz when the warehouse caught fire. Thus we have to piece together William’s military story from other records.

William’s medal rolls tell us that he first served abroad with his regiment during the war was on the 13th August 1914, less than two weeks after his marriage.

We take up his story from the regimental history ‘The Berkshire Regiment Vol II 1914-1918’ by F. Loraine Petre OBE published in 1925 at the Reading Barracks and also the 1st Battalion War Diary, from Aldershot until the end of the retreat from Mons.

—– Military Timeline —-

The first Battalion was at Aldershot when war was declared against Germany on the 4th August 1914. Orders for mobilization were received at 5.30pm on that day, and the battalion was ready to start for the front on the 11th, when it was inspected by the King and Queen. The first train conveying the battalion left Farnborough at 10.27am on the 12th, and was followed by the second at 11.39am.

Southampton was reached the same afternoon, and the battalion, embarking on the SS Ardmore, was at Rouen and marched to the Camp de Bruyes three miles off on the 13th. Leaving Rouen by train on the 15th, it passed through Amiens, detrained at Wassigny, and marched to camp at Venerolles, where it was training till the 21st, when it marched eleven miles to billets at Landrecies. On the 22nd it marched to billets at Hargnies, passing the Belgian Frontier at Gognies, on the road from Maubeuge to Mons.

It was ordered to occupy a position at Villereuile-le-Sec, about five miles S.E. of Mons. The rest of the brigade were at Harmignies, Estinne, and Givry. The Ist Royal Berkshire was entrenched at 3 p.m. on the 23rd, and an hour later heavy artillery fire was heard from the direction of Mons, and German cavalry were reported towards Bray in the east. For four hours the battalion was under heavy shell fire, but, beyond this, played no part in the battle of the 23rd August. The casualties were slight-Second Lieutenant T. V. B. Denniss and three men wounded. The ensuing night was quiet. At 5 a.m on the 24th orders to retire were received. No casualties were incurred, but, owing to the scattered trenches, eighty thousand rounds of rifle ammunition had to be abandoned. The Berkshire Battalion and the 1st King’s Royal Rifle Corps passed back through the 2nd South Staffordshire, and took up a position at Ihy, continuing later to half a mile east of Bavai, where they arrived at 6 p.m., one company being posted to cover them.

At 3 a.m. on the 25th the battalion again stood to arms, with orders to hold on to Bavai till the rest of the brigade had cleared it on the Pontsur-Sambre Road. Acting as rearguard of the 6th Infantry Brigade, the battalion covered the retreat as far as Pont-sur-Sambre, a march of fourteen miles. Here it passed through the 5th Brigade to billets at Maroilles, three miles east of Landrecies. About 8 p.m. ” B ” Company, under Major Turner, was ordered to return to the bridge on the Sambre, two miles N.W. of Maroilles, and relieve a party of the 15th Hussars which was holding it. The company was somewhat delayed by the congestion of transport, in Maroilles, and when it approached the bridge it found that it had already been captured from the Hussars. ” B ” Company deployed on the British side of the bridge and reconnoitred, with a view to finding a means of recapturing it. During this reconnaissance, Major Turner was taken prisoner. Meanwhile, ” D ” Company, under Major Maurice, with Captain Shott, Lieutenant Hanbury-Sparrow, and Lieutenant Fulbrook-Leggatt, * was ordered up to the bridge, which it reached about midnight. Lieutenant Fulbrook-Leggatt, with No. 13 Platoon, was ordered to protect the left flank, north of the Maroilles Road, ” B ” Company being then on the right. On this platoon a considerable rifle fire was opened by the Germans at the bridge three hundred yards away on its right flank.

The platoon was then called in to rejoin ” D ” on the road, and took position at the head of the company, in fours, facing the bridge. Meanwhile, Captain Shott appears to have gone forward alone to reconnoitre the position. He has never been seen or heard of since. The position was very obscure when ” D ” was ordered to advance on the bridge by the road. The advance was in file, with ” C, ” which had now come up, alongside in the same formation. The road was only about twelve feet wide, with ditches on either side about ten feet wide and three feet deep. Along this defile Major Finch and Major Maurice led an advance which from the first appeared to be a desperate venture. Men began to fall at once under a fire, from the bridge along the defile, increasing in severity. When fifty yards had been covered, the advance was checked. There was some disorder, and men sought cover by lying down on the sides of the road. When they had been again collected, an attempt was made to continue the advance at the double. The enemy’s fire was now so heavy that very little further progress could be made. Finally, the companies were ordered to withdraw, which they did in good order, carrying their wounded with them. This attack by night, without proper reconnaissance, along a defile, and with tired, wet, and hungry men, was almost bound to fail with heavy loss. The casualties were : Officers. Missing : Major A. S. Turner, Capt. H. H. Shott, D.S.O. (believed killed) . Wounded : Lieut. Hopkins (slightly). Other Ranks : Killed 2 ; Wounded 35 ; Missing 22.

That night the battalion bivouacked at Venerolles. The retreat continued on the succeeding days, without any noticeable incident for the 1st Royal Berkshire, viâ Guise, Mont d’Origny and Amigny to Chauny. There the battalion temporarily took position to guard the bridge over the Oise, which was prepared for demolition. This was on the 29th August. By the 1st September, Coucy le Château, Soissons and Baudry had been passed, and Thury was reached in the morning. The 4th (Guards) Brigade, acting as rearguard of the 2nd Division, had fought an action against very superior numbers in the forest N.E. of Villers Cotterets, and about 1 p.m. the 5th and 6th Brigades were called back to cover their retreat. Two companies of the 1st Royal Berkshire were deployed on either flank of a battery about a mile south of Villers Cotterets. Here they were attacked by the pursuing Germans, whom they beat off with a loss in the battalion of one officer (not named) and one man killed, and twenty-three other ranks wounded.

Next day the retreat continued through Panchard, where the battalion had an inconvenient loss in the shape of nine hundred and twenty greatcoats, which were turned off the ambulance wagons on which they were to make room for wounded. The weather was at present very hot, but the loss would be severely felt with a drop in the temperature. Passing through Meaux and crossing the Marne, the 1st Royal Berkshire was near St. Simeon on the left bank of the Grand Morin on the 7th September, the farthest point reached in the great retreat, the inevitable depression of which was now turned into the joy of advance.

The battalion, which was now in the general-reserve of the 2nd Division, and had been reinforced up to its original strength, started its advance at 5 a.m. on the 8th, passing both the Morin streams that day and reaching La Noue. The Guards Brigade had been in action all day, but the Royal Berkshire were behind and not engaged.

On the 9th the Marne was passed unopposed, at Charly-sur-Marne, by a barricaded but intact bridge. After passing the Marne, the advance continued to Coupru. On the 10th the battalion fought its first action since the end of the retreat. On this day the 6th Brigade acted as divisional advanced-guard, the 1st Royal Berkshire leading, with a section of Royal Horse Artillery and another of a Field Battery. At 9.15 a.m., as it approached Hautevesnes, a German column, chiefly transport, was seen moving on Chézy on the left front. The Royal Berkshire pushed forward and made good on the north side of Hautevesnes, whilst the artillery came into action S.W. of the village. At this moment a German column, evidently a rearguard, was seen marching northwards. The battalion deployed for action against the Germans who took up a strong position in a sunken road, supported by four guns north of Brumetz. On its right was the 1st King’s Royal Rifle Corps, and on its left two companies of the South Staffordshire Regiment. The advance of the battalion was directed on St. Gengoulph, and by II a.m. the Germans found themselves pinned to their position by the accuracy of the British fire at a range of seven hundred yards, and in danger of envelopment from the north, where the Royal Berkshire were advancing from St. Gengoulph. Under these circumstances they surrendered-four or five hundred of them. At the beginning of the action, part of the Germans had escaped by Chézy, but eventually fell into the hands of the 3rd Division. The action had established the superiority of the British rifle fire, especially of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, who bore the brunt of the fighting in the open against the enemy in the sunken road. They had the heaviest losses.

The 1st Royal Berkshire lost : Killed : Lieut. and Adjutant A. H. Perrott and 1 man. Other Ranks : Wounded : 23.

From the 11th September we fast forward to November and now take up the story from the Battalion Diaries to tell of the last actions of William Oakden in the war, now in the Ypres area at Veldhoek and Polygone Wood, where on the 2nd they had been in action where the French had attacked Gheluvelt.

3rd November 1914 – Veldhoek

Battalion HQ joined A,B and D companies at veldhoek.  Lt Bennett and 2/Lt Waghorn joined the Battalion. Capt Lucas assumed command. The Battalion is now under GOC 1st brigade. A and C Company in trenches, B in reserve in wood.

4th November 1914 – Veldhoek

A and half of B company in reserve in dugouts in the wood. Very heavily shelled all day, 21 casualties including 2/Lt Cruise.

5th November 1914 – Gheluvelt

Again A,B and D companies very heavily shelled and the Zouave Battalion on our left, retired from the trenches, but returned to them after dark. C company remained under officer commanding 2nd south Staffs on the Zonnebeke& Becelare ridge.

6th November 1914 – Gheluvelt

A, B & D Companies very heavily shelled in the wood just north of the Ypres – Menin Road. At 11.45pm these companies were relieved by the 1st battalion Loyal North Lancs and marched back to the farm at 6th brigade HQ Westhoek in reserve. A heavy fusillade was opened by the enemy as we left the wood. Arrived 6th Brigade HQ about 4am.

7th November 1914 – Westhoek

At 9am A and D companies sent up to trenches just west of Zonnebeke – Becelare Road in support of the Highland Light Infantry but were not employed. At 4.30pm A,B & D Companies with section of the 11th Field Company Royal Engineers and the 6th Brigade staff turned out to support the Connaught Rangers but nothing of interest happened. A Quiet night. C Company still with the Staffords.

8th November 1914 – Westhoek

A quiet day. B Company relieved one company KLI in wood East of Zonnebeke-Becelare Road and just south of White Track.

9th November 1914 – Westhoek

Fairly quiet day with some intermittent shelling. At 6pm a & D Companies relieved two more companies of the KLI. Thus the Battalion connected up the south Staffords on the left with the 60th Rifles on the right. Companies in order from left to right C,B,D,A. This position was the same as that held by B Company on October 27th, facing South towards Becelare. All quiet during relief. One company KLI under Captain Chichester remained in wood just south of White Track as local reserve, and under our command. No battalion reserve.

10th November 1914 – Westhoek

Nothing of importance to note. Captain Chichester’s Company fairly heavily shelled early in the day.

11th November 1914 – Westhoek

Heavy shelling about 3pm along Zonnebeke-Becelare Ridge. Heard of capture of Emden. Staffords and C Company arranged a ‘feu de Joie’ which drew much German rifle ammunition in our direction. Lt Issaac transport Officer collected a party of stragglers of various units and filled a gap in the line on the Ypres – Menin road.

12th November 1914 – Westhoek

About 6.30pm the trench on the left of the Staffords retired and about 500 Germans crossed the Zonnebeke – Becelare Road, within 600 yards of our Battalion HQ, most of the enemy withdrew East of the road, but about 150 remained in old trenches just west of road. Thus Stafford’s left was dangerously exposed and so at 12pm 12/13th it was decided to retire to line of road. The Battalion was allotted line from 5th kilometre stone  to 66th Rifles on right, and one company (D) was left out in redoubts in wood East of road, C Company in reserve. The withdrawal was carried out without a hitch at 3am on the 13th.

13th November 1914 – Westhoek

An incessant shower of rain and shell all day. D Company were driven out of forward positions about 1pm and withdrew back into reserve with few casualties. Enemy reported to be massing in front of right (B) Company and were heavily shelled by our guns. Enemy dug new line of trenches about 100yards to our front, but otherwise showed little activity. They did not discover we had vacated forward positions till between 8am and 9am.

14th November 1914 – Westhoek

Trenches heavily shelled, cold wet day. 2/Lt Gregson-Ellis arrived with 5th reinforcement of 250 men.

15th November 1914 – Westhoek

Again much cold, rain and shellfire. At 9pm we were relieved by the 169th Regiment of the French 9th Division and marched to Hooge in Divisional reserve. The whole 6th Division was relieved.

William Arthur Oakden was killed in action on the 14th November 1914. It is likely that he was a victim of the shelling that day as he has no known grave.

—– Military timeline ends —–

Grantham Journal Saturday 19th December 1914
REPORTED KILLED AT THE FRONT. – News was received on Tuesday morning that P.c. Oakden, who had been called up on the reserve, had been killed in action.  The news was conveyed in a letter to Mrs. Oakden by the Quartermaster from the seat of war, but up to the time of writing no confirmation had been received from the War Office.  P.c. Oakden was married only on August 1st, and on the following day received notice to rejoin his regiment.  Mrs Oakden has continued her residence at Bourne, and when the news became known there were many expressions of sympathy for her.

• Grantham Journal Saturday 30th January 1915
  THE DEATH OF P.C. OAKDEN – Confirmation was received on Thursday morning of the death of P.c. Oakden, killed in action on Nov. 14th.  Within the past month, the War Office stated, in reply to an enquiry, that the latest information was that Mr. Oakden was serving with his regiment.  The present bad news adds to the sadness of his young widow, who was naturally buoyed up by the hope that the rumour of his death was incorrect.

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
• In memory of Private William Arthur Oakden, 7010, 1st Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment who died on 14 November 1914 Age 27. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Oakden, of Leyton, Essex, husband of Mrs. F. Coulson (formerly Oakden), of 23, St. Paul’s St., Stamford, Lincs. Remembered with honour, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel 45.

William Oakden is also remembered on the Bourne War Memorial, The Lincolnshire Police Roll of Honour and also a page dedicated to his memory on our own website.

https://www.southlincolnshirewarmemorials.org.uk/our-villages/bourne/william-arthur-oakden/

Post war we follow the stories of William’s family.

Eva Oakden was to remarry in 1917 in Stamford to Frederick William Oakden and at the time she gave her residence as Glemsford. In 1921 they can be found at 23 St Paul’s street in Stamford. Frederick was a dairyman living on his own account. In 1939 they were still living at 23 St Paul’s Street in Stamford where Frederick was a Dairy Farmer and Eva a Milk Round’s Woman.

On the 1921 census Arthur and Ellen Oakden are in Leyton at 39 Murclusion, Leyton. Clifford (24) and Albert (23) are still living at home. Clifford working as a Stock broker’s Clerk for Lyon & Co of 8 Draper’s Gardens and Albert working as a Grocer’s Manager for International Tea.

William Oakden was eligible for the 1914 Star with Clasp and the British and Victory Medals. His effects were left to Eva Annie and a note in the margin reads ‘No Children’

By the time the Menin Gate was dedicated in 1927, William was listed in the memorial register as the Husband of Mrs F Coulson (Formerly Oakden) who was living at St Paul’s Street Stamford.

We will remember them.

Sources

• WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
• British Newspaper Archive.
• Fold 3
• Find My Past
• Genealogist
• Forces War Records
• British Army Service Numbers
• War Gratuity Calculator
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
• General Registry Office