joseph oswald wilcoxon 1893-1916

7/24/2019 Joseph Oswald Wilcoxon 1893-1916

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JOSEPH OSWALD WILCOXON 1893-1916

Joseph Oswald was born at Coedpoeth on October 5 th 1893. He was the second son born to Joseph and Annie

who by now already had another son and five dauhters. !i"e the rest of the fa#ily he attended $enyelli

%chool and on %epte#ber 1&th 19'( he was accepted to )rove $ar" County %chool for *oys. He was ad#itted

as $upil +o (81, and at the ti#e his address was - /ueens 0errace, Hih %treet, Coedpoeth . His fathers

occupation at the ti#e was recorded as Assistant Overseer.

He was uite a #usical boy and helped his sister Ada Jane run the %unday school at %ale# Chapel in the villae

of Coedpoeth. Apart fro# sinin in the choir he also played the oran, he was probably encouraed by

his eldest sister 2liabeth 2llen who was the oranist there.

4n 191-, at the ae of 19, he san at the elsh +ational 2isteddfod which was bein held at re6ha#, 0he

piece chosen for the entry was an oratorio na#ed 7 4srael in 2ypt 7 co#posed in 188 by ) Handel and

edited for choral use by incent +ovello.

Joseph Oswald later #oved to -1 Ale6andra :oad, re6ha# with his parents and ;oined the ar#y as

$rivate 18, 4st *attalion, elsh )uards, $rince of ales Co#pany.

His brother Harold was a -nd !t with the 13th elsh :ei#ent and durin their e#bar"ation to rance saw

Joseph Oswald but was unable to ac"nowlede hi# due to his ran", that was the last ti#e he saw his brother alive.

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JOSEPH OSWALD WILCOXON

$:4A02 18. 1st *A00A!4O+ 2!%H )<A:=%

HO =42= O+ %<+=A> 1' %2$02?*2: 191(

A)2= --.

*<:42= A0 )<A:=% C2?202:>, !2%*O<%

%O??2, :A+C2. ):A2 +o @444. + .3'.

!esboufs was attac"ed by the )uards division on 15th

%epte#ber 191( and captured by the# on the -5th.

4t was lost on -&th ?arch 1918 durin the reat )er#an

offensive and recaptured on -9th Auust by the 1'th

*attalion %outh ales *orderers.



JOSEPH OSWALDS SIGNATURE FROM THE “ ISRAEL IN EGYPT “ BOOK USED AT THE

EISTEDDFOD IN 191

At the elsh )uards ?useu# at $ar" Hall, near Oswestry there is a 7death plaue bearin Joseph OswaldBs

na#e and Ar#y details. 0hese were presented to the fa#ilies of soldiers who lost their lives in service.

-

0H2 A: ?2?O:4A! 4+ CO2=$O20H

4% 4+ 0H2 $A:D C!O%2 0O 0H2

!4*:A:>.

JO%2$H O%A!=% A0H2: A% C!2:D

0O 0H2 CO<+C4! H2:2 O: ?A+>

>2A:% H2+ 0H2 *<4!=4+) A% 0H2

*2:%HA? =4%0:4C0 CO<+C4! O4C2%.



Joseph Oswald ilco6on was #y )reat <ncle and was "illed on %unday 1' th %ept 191(.

He was $te 18 1st *attalion elsh )uards. He is buried at the )uards Ce#etery, !esboufs.

His death was reported in local newspapers. 0his is fro# the !lanollen Advertiser 1' October 191(

4n the re6ha# Advertiser dated -1 Oct 191( 4 found a article about his death. 4t states that initially his parents

believed that he had been wounded, but was alive.

0hen they received a letter fro# a C %pill#an to say that Joseph Oswald had been "illed in battle.

C %pill#an oes on to tell that Joseph was found and buried, that he too" his pay boo" and watch, which will be forwarded on. He says that he wal"ed 5 #iles to the rave and erected a cross on the rave of the E best

chu# on earth, 4 lost a brave and ood chu#E

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An official letter didnt arrive until later which confir#ed his death.

%o F who was C %pill#an, Josephs ood pal.

4 didnt find hi# on the ar )raves, so he luc"ily survived and 4 found hi# on the ?edal :oll 4nde6.

C!"#$%& F S'($$)"*+ P,% 1698 W%$&! G"#.&+

4 wondered what happened to Charles %pill#an. 0hrouh posts on the )reat ar oru#, and a luc"y find on

)enes :eunited 4 #anaed to trace the reat nephew of Charles %pill#an.

Charles had indeed survived the war.

4n June 1919 a war ratuity of G( (s &d was paid to Joseph OswaldBs father. A pitiful su# for the loss of his son.

Joseph ilco6on was "een for his son to have a co##ission and these letters fro# 1915 are between hi# and

O Owen who was the secretary to the elsh )uards, as he was still a $rivate at his death then his application

was not successful.

&



5



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4n the boo" Coedpoeth ?e#ories there is a section about the ar ?e#orial. 4t states that on the 1- th Auust

191( the parents of one of the fallen wrote to their son in rance as"in hi# in the event that of a #e#orial

bein raised to #a"e a suestion as what he thouht would be suitable for that purpose. On the -' th of that

sa#e #onth he replied 4 thin" the best #e#orial you could et would be to try to #a"e a playround for the

children. 4t is a thin that has always been lac"in, and would save the "iddies fro# havin to play on the

streets On the 1'th of the followin #onth he was "illed.

0his #atches the date of Joseph Oswalds death, but no one involved in the writin of the boo" has any hard

evidence of these letters. 4t would be nice to believe that the playround was part of his wish.



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joseph oswald wilcoxon 1893-1916

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