THOSE REMEMBERED ON THE FALFIELD WAR MEMORIAL WHO DIED DURING THE 1914-18 WAR
THOSE REMEMBERED ON THE FALFIELD WAR MEMORIAL WHO DIED DURING THE 1914-18 WAR
herbert george holpin
herbert george holpin
Date Born
12th February 1894
Birth place:
Thornbury
Date of Death:
17th July 1917
Fate:
Killed in action
Duty Location:
France and Flanders
Buried:
Buried in the Roclincourt Military Cemetery. Plot I.D.6.
Roclincourt is a village a little to the east of the road from Arras to Lens. Take the N17 from Arras until the junction of this road and the D60 (first CWGC sign here). Travel along the D60 into Roclincourt village, for approximately one kilometre, to a right turn (direction St Nicholas). Take this road for approximately 175 metres to a lane on the right. The cemetery lies 100 metres away at the foot of this lane.
Historical Information
The French troops who held this front before March 1916 made a military cemetery (now removed), on the south-
Roclincourt Military Cemetery contains 916 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 32 of them unidentified. There are also four German war graves.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield. Originally, the cemetery contained a wooden memorial erected by the 22nd Royal Fusiliers to one officer and 27 N.C.O.’s and men who fell in action at Oppy in April and May 1917.
Regiment:
12th (Service) Bristol Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment.
Rank:
Private
Service No:
16489
Military Information:
12th (Service) Battalion (Bristol)
30.08.1914 Formed by the Citizens’ Recruiting Committee in Bristol.
June 1915 Moved to Wensley Dale to join the 95th Brigade of the 32nd Division.
23.06.1915 Taken over by the war office and moved to Salisbury Plain.
21.11.1915 Mobilised for war and landed in France.
26.12.1915 Transferred to the 95th Brigade of the 5th Division which engaged in various actions on the Western Front including;
During 1916
The Attacks on High Wood, The Battle of Guillemont, The Battle of Flers-
During 1917
The Battle of Vimy, The Attack on La Coulotte, The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde, The Battle of Poelcapelle, The Second Battle of Passchendaele.
Nov 1917 Moved to Italy to strengthen the Italian resistance.
April 1918 Returned to France and once again engaged in various actions on the Western Front including;
During 1918
The Battle of Hazebrouck, The Battle of Albert, The Battle of Bapaume, The Battle of Drocourt-
19.10.1918 Disbanded in France
Medals Awarded
The 1914/15 star campaign medal of the British Empire for his service in World War One.
This Star is identical to the 1914 Star in every respect except that the centre scroll bears the dates “1914-
Eligibility for the Victory Medal consisted of having been mobilised, fighting, having served in any of the theatres of operations, or at sea, between midnight 4th/5th August, 1914, and midnight, 11th/12th November, 1918. Women who served in any of the various military organisations in a theatre of operations were also eligible.
The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the 1st World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were struck in silver and 110,000 in bronze, the latter awarded to, among others, the Chinese, Maltese and Indian Labour Corps
The 1914/15 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal were sometimes irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred. With Pip representing either the 1914/15 Star or the 1914 Star, only one of which could be awarded to a soldier, Squeak represented the British War Medal and Wilfred represented the Victory Medal.
MEMORIAL PLAQUE
The Next of Kin Memorial Plaque is a bronze plaque approximately 11 cms or 4½ inches diameter with the name of someone who died serving with the British and Empire forces in the First World War. This was issued to the Next of Kin of the casualty along with a scroll. They were posted out separately, typically in 1919 and 1920, and a ‘King’s message’ was enclosed with both, containing a facsimile signature of the King.
The immediate next of kin of all who died serving with the British and Empire forces in the First World War were eligible to receive the plaque and scroll. With nearly a million dead for the British Army alone, the plaques are today still commonly found; the fragile scrolls survive less often. Some of those recorded by plaques and scrolls were not eligible for service medals, for instance, those who did not serve overseas but who died in service through accident or illness.
Parents:
Charles and Sarah Holpin, of Brinkmarsh Farm, Falfield, Glos.
Other Information:
Herbert George Holpin was baptised on 28th May 1894 in Thornbury.
In the 1901 census Herbert living with his parents and his sisters Mary, Florence and brother John in Milbury Heath, Falfield. His fathers profession was recorded as a Farm Bailiff.
In the 1911 census all the family had moved to Brinkmarsh, Falfield his fathers occupation was now that of a Farmer.
Credits: St George’s Church Baptism and Burial Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Ancestry website, forces-
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