Military Chat

My great Grandad was a private in the army during the 1st war. He died in the war in 1916 aged 37. I was just wonering if there is any more information available.

Where have you looked?

Surviving records are on FMP and Ancestry, but bear in mind that 70% of records were destroyed

When and where was he born?

FMP has medal card info and the names of his wife and mother, but no service records

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/362164/C%20R%20OGBURN/

PRIVATE C R OGBURN
Service Number: 19833
Regiment & Unit/Ship Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry 3rd Bn.
Date of Death Died 26 April 1916
Age 37 years old
Buried or commemorated at
PORTSDOWN (CHRIST CHURCH) MILITARY CEMETERY
C. 56.
United Kingdom

Country of Service
United Kingdom
Additional Info
Son of Mrs. Sahar Ann Belsher;
husband of Alice J. Commander (formerly Ogburn), of 1, West Leyes, Rugby. C 56

Do you have his death cert?

That should give cause of death. He seems to have died in the UK, and not in France or other battle area.

Deaths Jun 1916 (>99%)
Ogburn Charles R 37 Fareham 2b 724


Private Charles Robert Ogburn
in the UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current
Name: Private Charles Robert Ogburn
Gender: M (Male)
Birth Date: Mar 1879
Birth Place: Cricklade, Wiltshire Unitary Authority, Wiltshire, England
Death Date: 26 Apr 1916
Death Place: Cosham, Portsmouth Unitary Authority, Hampshire, England
Cemetery: Christ Church Portsdown Churchyard
Burial or Cremation Place: Widley, City of Winchester, Hampshire, England

Some photos of the Christ Church Military Cemetery on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website

and via the find a grave site one of his grave

Google the Cemetery name and use the links to the above 2 sites - url stretches the page too far !!

The Church is close to Queen Alexandra's Hospital in Cosham, Portsmouth which was originally a Military hospital built between 1904 and 1908. Perhaps he died of wounds sustained.

Fareham Registration District covered Cosham and Widley in 1916 - the death reg. found and posted by ArgyllGran earlier

Charles Robert
Last name Ogburn
Age 37
Birth year 1879
Denomination Anglican
Residence Alexandra Hospital, Cosham
Death year 1916
Burial year 1916
Burial date 26 Apr 1916
Burial place Portsdown
Dedication Christchurch
County Hampshire
Country England
Register type Burials

C R
Last name Ogburn
Birth year 1879
Age 37
Death year 1916
Death date 26 Apr 1916
Number 19833
Rank Private
Unit 3rd Bn.
Regiment Oxford And Bucks Light Infantry
Grave reference C. 56.
Cemetery or memorial Portsdown (Christ Church) Military Cemetery
Burial country United Kingdom
Additional information Son of Mrs. Sahar Ann Belsher; husband of Alice J. Commander (formerly Ogburn), of 1, West Leyes, Rugby.
Link
https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead
War First World War, 1914-1918

First name(s) Charles Robert
Last name Ogburn
Birth year 1879
Birth date ? Mar 1879
Event year 1882
School name Purton Church Of England School
Town Purton
County Wiltshire
Country England
Parent name(s) Sarah Ogburn
Book type Admissions

OGBURN, CHARLES ROBERT MORSE
GRO Reference: 1879 M Quarter in CRICKLADE Volume 05A Page 46

1911 Census For England & Wales
8 Russell Street Rugby, Rugby, Warwickshire, England
Charles Robert Ogburn Head Married Male 31 1880 General Labourer Purton Wiltshire
Alice Jane Ogburn Wife - Female 25 1886 - Kings Lynn Norfolk
Alice Ogburn Daughter - Female 3 1908 - Rugby
Robert Ogburn Son - Male 2 1909 - Rugby
James William Jenison Brother In Law - Male 32 1879 - Whitley Yorkshire

1881

Name: Chas.Robert Ogborne
Age: 2
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1879
Relationship to Head: Pauper Inmate (Pauper)
Gender: Male
Where born: Purton, Wiltshire, England
Civil Parish: Purton
County/Island: Wiltshire
Country: England
Street Address: "Union Workhouse" Street
Occupation: (Pauper)
Registration District: Cricklade
ED, institution, or vessel: 11

Mother and siblings also in workhouse in1881
Ogborne
Eliza
1872
—
1881
1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census
Purton, Cricklade, Wiltshire, England

Ogborne
Henry
1875
—
1881
1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census
Purton, Cricklade, Wiltshire, England

Ogborne
John
1873
—
1881
1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census
Purton, Cricklade, Wiltshire, England

Ogborne
Sarah
1849
—
1881
1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census
Purton, Cricklade, Wiltshire, England

Ogborne
William
1877
—
1881
1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census
Purton, Cricklade, Wiltshire, England

1891

Name: Charles Coats
[Charles Ogburn]
[Charles Coates]
Gender: Male
Age: 9
Relationship: Son
Birth Year: 1882
Father: Alfred Coats
Mother: Sarah Coats
Birth Place: Purton, Wiltshire, England
Civil Parish: Bourton
Ecclesiastical parish: Bourton
Residence Place: Bourton, Bourton, Warwickshire, England
Registration District: Rugby
Sub registration district: Dunchurch
ED, Institution or Vessel: 2
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 2460
Folio: 14
Household Members:
Name Age
Alfred Coats 45
Sarah Coats 53***********************************Deaf
Charles Coats 9
Emma Coats 8
James Coats 6

James also served

Name: James Edward Ogburn
Gender: Male
Birth Date: abt 1885
Marriage Date: 17 Aug 1907
Marriage Place: New Bilton Rugby
Age: 30
Document Year: 1915
Residence Place: 11 Runfold Stepet, New Bilton Reigley
Regimental Number: 14606
Regiment Name: Warwick N
Form Title: Short Service Attestation
Number of Images: 7
Name Relation to Soldier
James Edward Ogburn Self (Head)
Jessica Alice Coppock Spouse
Reginald George Ogburn Child
Albert Ernest Ogburn Child

Name: James Edward Ogburn
Age: 21
Event Type: Marriage
Birth Year: abt 1886
Marriage or Bann Date: 17 Aug 1907
Marriage or Bann Place: Bilton, Warwickshire, England
Parish: Bilton
Spouse: Jessica Alice Coppock
Father: Thomas Ogburn

Parents' marriage

Name: Sarah Morse
Gender: Female
Age: 22
Birth Date: abt 1848
Marriage or Bann Date: 4 Sep 1870
Marriage or Bann Place: Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, England
Father: John Morse
Spouse: Thomas Ogbourne
Father: Henry Ogbourne

Mother's second marriage

Marriages Jun 1890 (>99%)
Coates Alfred Rugby 6d 885
Ogburn Sarah Rugby 6d 885

And her third

Marriages Dec 1896 (>99%)
Belcher Henry Rugby 6d 1137
Coates Sarah Ann Rugby 6d 1137

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census
14, Sun Street, Town, Rugby, Warwickshire, England
Henry Belsher Head Married Male 52 1849 Road Making Labourer Walsall, Staffordshire, England
Sarah A Belsher Wife Married Female 51 1850 Cake Hawker Swindon, Wiltshire, England

Looking at the burial register entry that Maddie posted earlier (Portsmouth burials from FMP I believe) and then turning to at the images - so many burials from Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, (with some locals addresses amongst them!!)

If this is the man who married Sarah Morse (and I don't think there's much doubt), he wasn't Charles Robert's father - or, indeed, the father of any of her 1879 onwards children. She's a widow in 1881, so the death fits

Name: Tom Ogbourne
Age: 26
Birth Date: abt 1851
Burial Date: 12 Jun 1877
Burial Place: Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, England
Parish as it Appears: Wootton Bassett

Charles Robert Ogburn
in the UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
Name: Charles Robert Ogburn
Gender: Male
Death Date: 26 Apr 1916
Death Place: Alexandra Hospital, Cosham
Rank: Private
Regiment: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Regimental Number: 19833
War Gratuity £1 13s 3d paid to widow

OGBURN, CHARLES ROBERT MORSE
GRO Reference: 1879 M Quarter in CRICKLADE Volume 05A Page 46

OGBURN, EDWARD JAMES MORSE
GRO Reference: 1884 D Quarter in CRICKLADE Volume 05A Page 52

OGBURN, EMMA HANNAH MARIA MORSE
GRO Reference: 1881 S Quarter in CRICKLADE AND WOOTTON BASSETT Volume 05A Page 42

The earlier children

OGBOURN, ELIZA MORSE
GRO Reference: 1871 S Quarter in CRICKLADE Volume 05A Page 29

OGBURN, HENRY MORTE
GRO Reference: 1874 D Quarter in PENKRIDGE Volume 06B Page 489

OGBURN, JOHN MORSE
GRO Reference: 1873 M Quarter in PENKRIDGE Volume 06B Page 492

Suggestion for Thomas's parents' marriage

Name: Henry Ogborn
Gender: Male
Age: Of Age
Marriage or Bann Date: 4 Nov 1850
Marriage or Bann Place: Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, England
Father: Christopher Ogborn
Spouse: Elizabeth Heal

Name: Henry Ogburn
Age: 23
Event Type: Marriage
Birth Year: abt 1875
Marriage or Bann Date: 26 Mar 1898
Marriage or Bann Place: Bilton, Warwickshire, England
Parish: Bilton
Spouse: Esther Malin
Father: Thomas Ogburn...........deceased



Name: Henry Ogburn
Gender: Male
Baptism Date: 15 Nov 1874
Baptism Place: Cannock, Stafford, England
Father: Thomas Ogburn
Mother: Sarah

Name: John Ogburn
Gender: Male
Baptism Date: 15 Nov 1874
Baptism Place: Cannock, Stafford, England
Father: Thomas Ogburn
Mother: Sarah

1891

Name: Henry Ogburn
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Relationship: Lodger
Birth Year: 1875
Birth Place: Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, England
Civil Parish: Compton Bassett
Ecclesiastical parish: Compton Bassett
Residence Place: Compton Bassett, Compton Bassett, Wiltshire, England
Registration District: Calne

Name: Private Henry Ogburn
Death Date: 30 Jul 1916
Cemetery: Thiepval Memorial
Burial or Cremation Place: Thiepval, Departement de la Somme, Picardie, France

Name: Henry. Ogburn
Gender: Male
Rank: Pte
Record Type: Card
Death Date: 30 Jul 1916
Service Number: 14967
Corps, Regiment or Unit: Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Title: WWI Pension Record Cards and Ledgers
Description: Other Ranks Died Oddy B-Ogden J
Next of Kin:
Name Relation to Soldier
Henry. Ogburn
Esther Ogburn Widow
Esther May Ogburn Child
Frederick Thomas Henry Ogburn Children

3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in Oxford. A depot/training unit, it moved to Portsmouth in August 1914 and went on to Dover in October 1917.
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-light-infantry/

It seems the 3rd bn Ox & Bucks LI was a UK based depot bn - part of the regular army.
My guess is that he died in England of sickness or some ordinary accident. I note that he has a regular d.cert:

Deaths Jun 1916 (>99%)
Ogburn Charles R 37 Fareham 2b 724

It would be interesting to see his medal card - my guess is it has no entry showing admission to an overseas theatre of war.

There are three medal cards which seem to be his:

Charles R Ogborn
in the UK, World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
Name: Charles R Ogborn
Military Year: 1914-1920
Rank: Private
Company: WO 329
Regiment or Corps: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Regiment Number: 19833
Medal Awarded: British War Medal and Victory Medal

(Name scored out, and no info re Theatres of War.)



Charles R Ogburn
in the UK, World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
Name: Charles R Ogburn
Military Year: 1914-1920
Rank: Private
Company: WO 329
Regiment or Corps: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Regiment Number: 19833
Medal Awarded: British War Medal and Victory Medal

Theatres of War column says OSJ [ OTJ ?]



Charles R Ogburn
in the UK, British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
Name: Charles R Ogburn
Regiment or Corps: Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Regimental Number: 1956, 19833

( No other info)



Charles Robert Ogburn
in the UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
Name: Charles Robert Ogburn
Birth Place: Wootton Bassett, Wilts
Death Date: 26 Apr 1916
Death Place: Home
Enlistment Place: Rugby, Warwicks
Rank: Private
Regiment: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Battalion: 3rd Garrison Battalion
Regimental Number: 19833
Type of Casualty: Died
Theatre of War: Home
Comments: Formerly 1956, R. War. Regt.




Charles Robert Ogburn
in the UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
Name: Charles Robert Ogburn
Gender: Male
Death Date: 26 Apr 1916
Death Place: Alexandria [ Alexandra Hospital, Cosham on image ]
Rank: Private
Regiment: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Regimental Number: 19833