John Frederick Oakley

Lance Sergeant - Service No. 16098 - 8th Battalion Norfolk Regiment

John Frederick Oakley, the son of John Oakley and his wife Alice Jane (Hubbard), was born on 24th November 1892 in Swardeston. He had two younger siblings, Arthur William Oakley, born 15th August 1894 and Nora Alice Oakley, born 24th October 1895, both born in Swardeston. John and Alice had married in 1892 in Swardeston, and settled in the village where John worked as an agricultural labourer. Following the births of their three children the family moved to East Carleton in 1896 where, tragically, Alice died early the following year, at the age of 26, leaving John with three children under the age of 5. At this point John's parents, John Oakley (Snr) and his wife Susan (Carver), stepped in to bring up the children in Swardeston, by the turnpike, where John (Snr) was a woodman on the Gowthorpe Estate.

In 1899 John was remarried, to a widow Emma Breeze (Bringloe) from East Carleton, whose husband, William Breeze had died in 1892. William and Emma had four children, born between 1874 and 1890, and they moved in with Emma and her new husband who continued living in East Carleton. It appears that Arthur Oakley moved to East Carleton to live with his father and new step mother while John Frederick and younger sister Nora stayed with their grandparents in Swardeston. John Frederick was mostly educated at the village school in Swardeston and worked on a market garden in the village when he finished his education.

At some time in late 1914 or early 1915 John joined the Norfolk Regiment and was sent to France, to the Western Front, on 25th July 1915. We do know that at some time during his short time in France he was promoted to Corporal. We also know that he was awarded the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal although his army service records have been destroyed. On, or shortly after, 21st October 1916, during the Battle of Ancre Heights, John Frederick Oakley was killed. His body was eventually exhumed and reburied in the Regina Trench British Military Cemetery, Grandcourt, France.

When the army finalised John's affairs they sent his money and back pay to his grandmother, Susan, suggesting this had been the norm throughout his time in the army. His War Gratuity and personal possessions went to his father, John.

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