Name
Richard Shem Soton
22 Dec 1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/10/1916
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
22136
Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
EUSTON ROAD CEMETERY, COLINCAMPS
IV. I. 1.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Harpenden memorials, Buckingham War Memorial, Buckingham
Pre War
Richard Shem was born in Buckingham on 22 Dec 1895 to Richard Soton, an agricultural labourer, and Ada Martha (nee Markham).
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Mitre Street Buckingham (Father Richard was serving with Oxford Light Infantry in South Africa). On the 1911 Census Richard was aged 15 and working as a butcher’s assistant and living with the family at Fleece Yard, Buckingham. Later the family lived on Willoughby Road, Harpenden.
Wartime Service
Richard enlisted in the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, (the renamed Oxford Light Infantry).
There seems to be few records of his service and those that exist have alternative spellings of his family name. The 2nd Battalion Ox & Bucks were a unit of 2nd Division and were involved in fighting on the Somme battlefield in 1916. Richard was killed in action on 26 Oct 1916.
Additional Information
War Gratuity £3 and arrears of £5 5s 9d paid to his Mother.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
