Edward Oakley

Private - Service No. 20245 - 3rd Battalion Norfolk Regiment

Private - Service No. 35376 - 2nd Garrison Battalion Suffolk Regiment

Private - Service No. G/79478 - 29th Battalion Middlesex Regiment

Private - Service No. 178113 - 331st Home Service Company, Labour Corps

Edward Oakley, the son of John Oakley and his wife Susan (Carver), was born on 31st December 1877 in Swardeston, Norfolk. He was the eighth of their nine children, James (1862), John (1863), Mary (1866), William (1868), Robert (1870), David (1873), Elijah (1875) and Eliza (1880). John and Susan married on 17th April 1861 at Swardeston, Norfolk, and lived there for a couple of years, with the Carver family, until moving to Keswick where they stayed until early 1871 when they moved back to Swardeston. John was born and raised in Carleton Rode and worked on the land in his home village until getting a job in Swardeston when he was about 20 and taking lodgings there with Elijah and Elizabeth Carver, Susan's parents. John and Susan remained in Swardeston until Susan died just three weeks after the armistice was signed in November 1918 with John passing award some three weeks later. They both lived to see the end of the war but not to witness the safe return of their son, Edward.

Edward Oakley married May Mary Buxton, the eldest of nine children of Charles Buxton and his wife Matilda (Banthorpe), on 25th July 1906 at Swardeston. Edward was a bricklayer by trade and, early in his married life, worked on the Gowthorpe Estate. Edward and May had eight children, all born in Swardeston,

Edward complete his army attestation on 11th December 1915 and was transferred to the reserves the next day. He was finally mobilised on 16th June 1916 and posted to the Norfolk Regiment of the following day. On 26th August 1916 Edward was transferred to the 2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion Suffolk Regiment at Harwich and then Felixstowe until, on 13th January 1917, he was transferred to the 29th (Works) Battalion Middlesex Regiment at Thetford which, in April 1917 became the Labour Corps. On 29th October 1917 Edward was sent to Ipswich to be assessed with regard to his bricklaying skills, a job he had done for some 25 years. Initially he was certified as a "skilled" tradesman but this was later modified to "proficient", the difference being a matter of a few shillings less pay in lieu of trade qualifications. He remained with the Labour Corps until being demobilised on 19th March 1919.

As Edward did not serve abroad he was not awarded any medals for his war service. His army service records do survive. Edward died in 1953 and May some ten years later. They are survived by many grandchildren, great grandchildren and other family.

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