Investigation into the Identity of EP Hoskins

Despite being listed on the original 1920/21 memorial as EP Hoskins, Staff Sergeant, Yeomanry, research of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) records reveals that no individual by that name, or with those initials, perished during the First World War. There is no evidence anywhere that such a person ever existed in official military records.

The earliest mention of EP Hoskins’ death appears in the 1916 Christmas Term edition of the College magazine. Prior to this, the Hoskins name does not appear in any surviving editions of the magazine, whether in terms of sporting achievements, exam success, or other activities. The brief obituary in the 1916 edition lists his rank as Staff Sergeant, but does not reference the Yeomanry regiment, which would later be associated with his name on the memorial. The article also notes that he was among the earliest students to be educated at the school [1880’s/1890’s] and mentions his brother or brothers as having been educated there also.

Process of Elimination

In total, ninety-six soldiers with the surname Hoskins lost their lives during the war. By excluding those outside the appropriate age bracket, those who died outside the year 1916, and those from the Dominions, the list was narrowed down to twelve possible candidates. The estimate agreed upon with Mervyn Joyner some years ago placed Hoskins’ birth around 1880, which would make him eligible for deployment, most likely as a senior Non-Commissioned Officer. Although none of these twelve individuals served in a Yeomanry regiment, the memorial’s reference to Yeomanry suggested there was a tentative connection to this branch of the armed forces earlier in his life.

Criteria for Identification

The search focused on finding an individual who met several criteria: of the right age (mid to late 30s), killed in 1916, had at least one brother, a connection to the Yeomanry if possible, and a father who was likely self-employed and affluent enough to afford private education. A familial link to Shropshire would be considered an additional point of relevance.

Conclusion: Identification of Edward Herbert Hoskins

After extensive research and eliminating numerous possibilities, the name that emerged as the most likely candidate was Lance Sergeant Edward Herbert Hoskins of the 1^st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry. He was killed on July 1^st, 1916, at the age of 36, and is buried at Redan Ridge Cemetery No. 2, Beaumont Hamel, France. His parents were William Parish Hoskins and Jane Hoskins. Edward was born on July 28^th, 1879, fitting the estimated timeframe for EP Hoskins.

His brother, William Marrian Hoskins, was born on May 20^th, 1875, and passed away in 1949. Their parents had married in 1874. William Parish Hoskins, born in 1852, was self-employed and owned a bed frame manufacturing business in the West Midlands. He died in 1908 at the age of 56. Jane Hoskins was from Claverley, Shropshire, close to Bridgnorth, and died in 1918. One of the family’s housemaids hailed from Cleobury Mortimer.

The Yeomanry reference likely pertains to the West Somerset Yeomanry, which became part of the Territorial Force in 1908 following various regimental mergers and reorganisations after the Boer War. Eventually, and more importantly, it was incorporated into the Somerset Light Infantry.

The 1891 census records show both Edward and his brother living at home with their parents, rather than appearing in the College census returns as might be expected. However, other pupils who fell in WW1 are also missing from the college census records of the period, so this is not viewed as a disqualifying factor.

Final Assessment

While it is not possible to confirm with 100% certainty that Edward Herbert Hoskins is the individual commemorated as EP Hoskins, the overwhelming body of evidence strongly supports this identification and puts it beyond reasonable doubt, hence his inclusion in the list of the fallen.
 

This is his story.

Edward Herbert Hoskins was born in Solihull, Warwickshire on 28^th July 1879 to William Parish Hoskins and his wife Jane Hoskins [neé Perry] from Claverley, Shropshire, the third of four children.

Nothing is known about Edward’s school life as virtually all of the records from that period have not survived. After leaving school he did spend some time in his father’s business which was left in the care of his elder brother following their father’s death in 1908. It is highly likely that he had some form of military service within the Territorial Force prior to the outbreak of war in 1914 which would explain the Yeomanry connection.

We do know from the records that he arrived in France on 1^st December 1914 within a party of reinforcements for the 1^st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry. Battalion war diaries seldom mention the names of ordinary soldiers or NCO’s, unless of course they have distinguished themselves on the field of battle.

We can be sure that he took part in various skirmishes and trench warfare during his eighteen months on the front line. The activities of the troops on that first Christmas of 1914 received much publicity afterwards with talks of local truces and football matches. The following is an extract from the battalion war diary for Christmas Day 1914.

There was much sniping in the trenches last night by both sides. Germans opposite us brought up their Regimental Band and played theirs and our National Anthems followed by "Home Sweet Home". A truce was eventually arranged by the men in the trenches.

During the morning, Officers met the German Officers half way between the trenches and it was arranged that we should bring in our dead who were lying between the trenches. The bodies of Capt C. C. MAUD, Capt R. C. ORR and 2/Lt S. B. HENSON were brought in, also those of 18 NCOs and men. They were buried the same day. The Germans informed us that they had captured and wounded an Officer and this was thought to be 2/Lt K. G. G. DENNYS¹, who commanded one of the attacking Platoons of B Coy on the 19^th  December.

There was a sharp frost last night which continued during the day and the weather was very seasonable. Not a shot or shell was fired by either side in our neighbourhood and both sides walked about outside their trenches quite unconcernedly. It afforded a good opportunity for inspecting our trenches by daylight. The enemy's works were noticed to be very strong. A very peaceful day.

Throughout the winter of 1914-15 the battalion was in PLOEGSTEERT WOOD, being almost continuously in the front line. On December 19^th 1914 an unsuccessful attack was made to improve the position, and many valuable lives were lost. The remains of the officers and men referred to above were from that engagement.  The battalion remained at Ploegsteert Wood until April 1915.

Shortly afterwards the Division left Belgium for the South, and on August 1^st 1915 relieved the French army in front of BEAUMONT HAMEL. A period of comparatively quiet trench warfare was spent in this sector until early in 1916, when the Division came out of the line for training in the neighbourhood of Beauval.

The First BATTLE OF THE SOMME - the attack on BEAUMONT HAMEL, 1^st July 1916.

There was an ad-hoc arrangement that ten per cent of the officers & senior NCO’s be left out of action and moved back to the reinforcement camp at Bertrancourt. On this occasion little or no provision was made for leaving out of action officers and NCO’s for the purpose of reforming the Battalion in case of heavy casualties. A few months later definite orders were very wisely issued defining exactly what officers and NCO’s should be left out of a battle: included in these were the CO, or second in command, two Company Commanders, and two Company Sergeant Majors. The result was that even after the heaviest casualties there was always a nucleus on which to reform.

The attack was intended to take place on June 28^th , but owing to the heavy rain it was postponed until July 1^st . At 10 p.m., on June 30^th, the Battalion marched out from MAILLY-MAILLET to its position of assembly in trenches dug in the area enclosed by Vallade Trench, Borden Avenue and Roman Road. 

What happened during the action is best described by Major Vivian Majendie², who assumed command of the battalion later that day.

July 1^st was fine and warm. After an intense bombardment a large mine was exploded under the Hawthorn Redoubt at 7.20a.m. Fortunately the Battalion had very few casualties while waiting in the assembly trenches, and all ranks were in the highest spirits, eagerly looking forward to zero hour. At 7.30 a.m. the attack was launched. The 11^th Brigade advanced in magnificent style, and the formations were accurately kept.

The Battalion advanced on a one company frontage in four lines, each line in lines of sections.  The 1^st advance started excellently, and the enemy barrage was not severe. Very soon, however, heavy rifle and machine gun fire was opened from both flanks. The 1^st East Lancashires and the 1^st Hampshires were unable to get beyond the enemy wire.

The Battalion was forced to swing to its left, owing to the rise in the ground, which it should have crossed, being swept by machine guns and quite impassable, and found itself in the German trenches in the neighbourhood of the Quadrilateral. The Warwicks on the left appear to have gained their objective, but were unable to hold on there.

The 4^th Division was greatly handicapped by the 31^st Division being unable to make any progress in front of SERRE and by the 29^th Division on the right being unable to capture BEAUMONT HAMEL.

It is impossible to give a detailed account of the fighting that ensued, but the situation after the first two hours was that men of various battalions in the Division were holding part of the Quadrilateral, and were engaged in a fierce grenade fight. Elsewhere our men were back in the trenches from which they had started. Owing to the very heavy casualties and the small number of survivors from this action, it was extremely difficult to discover exactly what happened in the first few hours of the battle. Also the appearance of the ground had greatly altered owing to the prolonged and intense bombardment by our artillery; whole trenches had been blotted out, and it was a matter of the greatest difficulty for any individual to locate his exact position.

It is worthy of note that during the morning a report was received at Divisional H.Q. from an aeroplane that men of the Battalion had reached their objective, and were in Munich Trench. If this report was accurate, it is improbable that any of these ever returned.

Our men in the Quadrilateral were for some time severely handicapped by a shortage of grenades, but a supply was subsequently sent across mainly owing to the gallantry and good leadership of Regimental Sergeant Major [RSM] E. Paul, who was in charge of the carrying party. By this time the only officers left with the remnants of the Battalion were Captain A. J. Harington, M.C., and Lieutenant. G. C. V. Greetham. Both these officers left wounded about 1.30 p.m., and Company Sergeant major [CSM] Chappell was then in command of our men in the German trenches.

Quite early in the attack the six commanding officers of the Brigade became casualties, and after Brigadier-General Prowse was wounded, the Brigade-Major, Major Somerville, took command. About 4.30 p.m. the officers who had been left out of action arrived in our original front line trenches, and took command of the survivors, who had been collected and re-organised in the assembly trenches by RSM Paul.

After dark those men of the 11^th Brigade, who were in and around the Quadrilateral, were relieved by the Royal Irish Fusiliers, and withdrew to our own lines. Later in the night it was decided to evacuate the small portion of the German trenches that remained in our possession, and by dawn on July 2^nd the British line on this part of the front was exactly the same as it had been before the attack.

Orders were received about 10 p.m. for the 11^th Brigade to move back into Divisional Reserve in Mailly-Maillet, and the line to be held by the 10^th and 12^th Brigades. The losses of the Battalion were exceedingly heavy. With the exception of the Medical Officer, Captain Acland, and Second-Lieutenant Marler, [Brigade dump officer], no single officer, including those in charge of carrying parties, who formed up in the assembly trenches remained for duty at the end of the day.

The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Thicknesse and the Adjutant, Captain Ford, were both killed before no-man’s land was reached.

The Battalion’s casualties were 26 officers and 438 other ranks. In addition to the above, Brigadier-General Prowse, who came out to France with the Battalion and later commanded it, was mortally wounded and died shortly afterwards.

There is little more to add about this attack, which was a complete, but a glorious, failure, and in many ways as creditable to those, who took part in it as many subsequent successes. By the light of experience gained later, there is little doubt that the lack of a creeping barrage, which at the time had not been evolved, allowed the Germans to make full use of their numerous machine guns, and accounted to a great extent for our lack of success. The importance of systematically dealing with the German dug-outs as the advance proceeded was not at the time thoroughly realised: there were several instances of Germans emerging from their dug-outs after the British had passed, and firing into their backs.

The following day, July 2^nd was devoted to replacing deficiencies of equipment and reorganising the Battalion. The ten per cent reinforcements rejoined.

Lieut.-Col. J. A. Thicknesse was buried on the evening of July 3^rd, in the Military Cemetery, close to the Sucrerie.

Lance-Sergeant Edward Hoskins was initially listed as “missing” when the roll was finally called later that day but upon recovery of his remains sometime later, confirmed as “killed in action”. He was buried close by.

In the Spring of 1917, when the lines had moved forward, the task of clearing the battlefields began. A spot was chosen to the north of the village of Beaumont Hamel and was named “Redan Ridge” after “The Redan”, a group of British front-line trenches of 1916. It contains the remains of over 250 casualties of the war, of which over 100 cannot be identified.  All of those buried here fell, with one exception, [Private C.G.W. Slater] on July ^1st and in November 1916.

Private Slater, 1^st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, was killed on 28^th June 1916 before the opening stages of the Somme battle.  Prior to the reinternment in 1917 the remains of Private Slater and Lance Sergeant Hoskins were discovered co-joined so as to make distinct separate identification impossible: therefore, they were reburied in a single marked grave which can be seen in the photograph, front row, seventh from the left. Edward was aged 36 when he died and unmarried.

1. Second-Lieutenant K. G. G. Dennys survived the war and went on to be the Commanding Officer of the 10^th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry in World War 2. On 7^th November 1942 the battalion was reconstituted as 7^th (Light Infantry) Battalion, The Parachute Regiment. Post war reductions and amalgamations resulted in the battalion being reformed as the 3^rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, maintaining to this day the Green Lanyard and Green Drop Zone flash as a reminder of its Light Infantry origins during the First World War.
    
2. Vivian Henry Bruce Majendie, CB, DSO. was a professional soldier and a formidable amateur cricketer [wicket keeper] for Somerset County Cricket Club. He ended the war as CO of the 1^st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in July 1917. He was appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) the 55^th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division, a Territorial Army (TA) formation, in 1938 in the rank of Major-General and the same year became Colonel of the Somerset Light Infantry. He served from the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 until June 1941 as GOC the 55^th Division, which in late June 1940 was reorganised as an infantry division and served in the United Kingdom throughout the war. Believed to be too old for field command, he relinquished command of the 55^th Division and became GOC Northern Ireland District in 1941 and served in the War Office as President of the War Office Regular Commissions Board from 1943. He retired from the army, after a career spanning well over 40 years, in 1946 and ceased being Colonel of his regiment the following year. He became deputy lieutenant for the county of Hertfordshire in 1951. He died in 1960 at the age of 73.
    

A copy of this story is available for download here.