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THEOBALD, Oswald V.

Driver WR/215113

ROYAL ENGINEERS

who died on

Sunday, 23rd November 1919. Aged 22

Oswald was the son of James Edward and Eliza Theobald, of 18 Fairfax Road, Colchester. He had one brother and several sisters. He was born in Abberton. He lived in number 2 Pump Row in Layer Road near the Post Office. These houses are now known as "Moss Cottages". He attended Abberton School.

Oswald joined up when he was 19 years old on the 21st April 1915 at Marylebone. It was a Short Service Engagement for the duration of the War. He went initially to a training depot at  Aldershot. He was then assigned to 180th Field Company. His records at Kew appear incomplete. He appears to have served in France and been badly wounded. He was discharged as "no longer fit for war service" on the 18th November 1918. He was given a pension of eleven shillings per week (55 pence). Sadly, he died a year later.

180 was a Tunneling Company, which worked on the Western Front throughout the war and took part in most of the big battles. The Field Companies relied heavily on horses for transport. Typically they had some 50 draught horses and 4 pack horses. Oswald was assigned as a driver to look after the horses.  The 180th Field Company  was disbanded on 28th April 1919. Apart from their prime occupation of tunneling under German defences to place High Explosive charges, they were also involved in demolition work. They were prominent in March 1918, in blowing bridges to contain the German offensive.

180th T. Company on the 23rd February 1918, were detailed to prepare 5 bridges in the Somme valley near Peronne for demolition. They marched to Bray and reconnoitered all the bridges from Cappy to Corbie, that were not already being prepared. The four sections of the Company were sent to different bridges in Bray and set charges for demolition.

As the German advance continued, things became desperate. On the 12th March, Area HQ requested "Please arrange to prepare for demolition the road bridge Peronne-Flamicourt under the same conditions as those laid down for other road bridges in the battle zone". At 3 pm , when all troops of the 16th & 39th Divisions had passed through Peronne and crossed the river, and the enemy was only a few hundred yards away, 180th T. Company started to destroy the bridges, working methodically from North to South. The town was being shelled and parts of it were in flames, but it was reported that in all cases, complete destruction was achieved. In five cases the steel girders were cut and the abutments blown in: the remaining bridge and a culvert were completely destroyed and large craters formed. The Bristol bridges at the south end of the Faubourg de Paris were blown at 6 pm, leaving a gap 150 foot wide. The Officer Commanding and his demolition parties got away along the south side of the canal and made for Suzanne.

180th T.Company blew up 4 bridges on the Bray-Cappy road and a large double road bridge at Bray a few days later. They also completed the blowing of a partially demolished  double railway bridge alongside. This was followed by yet another road bridge over a branch of the river between Bray & Froissy. A further report states "At 7pm the same day (26th) Sailly Laurette was evacuated by the troops and outposts withdrawn. My party, who was standing by bridges here, waited for two hours after the rearguard had passed, in order to allow any stragglers to get through, and at 9 pm blew up the four road bridges assigned to me for demolition".

Oswald's medals,  the British War Medal & Victory Medal, were sent to his father in May 1922.

Oswald as a choirboy at Abberton School. His house is number 2 Pump Row. The house in the distance, second from the end is Bakery Cottage. This was the house of Edward Felgate, who died at Nery.

A picture of Oswald taken in uniform at his sister's house at 18 Fairfax Road, Colchester. Oswald's father James was 43 in 1901 and was a farm labourer originally born in Colchester. His mother Eliza was 42, originally born in Peterborough, and there was a grandfather John aged 82, who had been a cordwainer born in Virley Essex. He had a number of siblings all born in Abberton:- Elizabeth 15, Ella 1, Elsie 8, Grace 15, Lilly 12 and Walter 11. 

Oswald  was buried in his home village of Abberton, here in our graveyard at Saint Andrew's.

His grave is on the North side close to the hedge.

REFERENCES

Information obtained from The Commonwealth War Graves web site. www.cwgc.org/

Picture of Oswald as a choirboy at Abberton school provided by Miss G. Hayhoe. The picture of the cottages has kindly been provided by Brian Jay from his collection of old postcards.The picture of Oswald in uniform was kindly supplied by his great nephew, Mr. P. D. Wyncoll.

The pictures of the medals were kindly provided by Worcestershire Medal Service Ltd.

Information on the role of 180 Tunneling Company is taken from "The War Underground" by Alexander Barrie.

10/26/02 last updated

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These pages are dedicated to the memory of the Fallen from the two World Wars, who lived in Abberton & Langenhoe.. Prepared by Saint Andrew's Parochial Church Council. November 11th 2000

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