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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: lisat on Saturday 17 February 24 15:07 GMT (UK)
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Could anybody suggest why my great grandfather William Herbert Pointon can be found on the 1921 Census at Donington Hall barracks, Castle Donington, Derbyshire when he was 58 years old? The entry is a Return of Officers and other ranks on Service, and it lists him alongside many others, with his age, married status, birthplace of Measham , rank of Private in Infantry section of the Army.
He was born in 1862 in Measham, Derbyshire and up to now I have found very little regarding a military record for him, only a newspaper entry on 20.3. 1897 from The West Somerset Free Press where he is mentioned as being promoted to Acting Lance Corporal from Private (4703) in the Volunteer Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry. He lived in Minehead from about 1892 to about 1910, before moving back to Measham. I know Donington Hall had been a POW camp for Germans during WW1, but what was going on there in 1921? Any help greatly appreciated. Lisa
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Only a thought - Donington Hall had been a prisoner of war camp in WW1. :-\ 1921 shows it as a "Hired Building" by the Army.
As a child I lived near to Oulton Park race track. At that time, during and after WW2, the grounds had been home to French Navy (in the middle of Cheshire :o :o), Polish soldiers, American Forces, British Army, and had housed Italian and German prisoners of war.
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Just don’t understand what he was doing at 58 years old. He was a carpenter not a career army man, and I don’t think he took part in WW1 anyway. Just curious as to what was going on, if it was some sort of Home Guard perhaps.
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There is this history - I haven't read all 36 pages.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1159&context=mhr
If you look at other members on the 1921, he might be the eldest, but there are numerous others who are "getting on" a bit!
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True. Thanks for that, I’ll read through it and see what I find.
Lisa
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Another thought is that Leicestershire Archives may have more information!
https://www.recordoffice.org.uk/
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He was probably in the Royal Defence Corps. Their upper age limit was 60, I think.
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He was probably in the Royal Defence Corps. Their upper age limit was 60, I think.
:) Spot on -- upper age limit was 60
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Thanks AllanUK, ShaunJ and BumbleB, I didn’t know that. I’ll look into it. Very helpful, thanks.
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I see that the Royal Defence Corps provided security at POW camps, so you could be on to something there.
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looking back to the previous pages for Donington hall, we find on page 793 the following:
'Commencement of Enumeration District (Specl) No 15 Donington Hall Royal Defence Corps
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Very interesting, thanks.