Name
Oben Strickland
1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/12/1917
36
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
33087
Leicestershire Regiment
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TINCOURT NEW BRITISH CEMETERY
IV. B. 10.
France
Headstone Inscription
AT REST
UK & Other Memorials
Ashwell Village Memorial, St Mary’s Church Roll of Honour, Ashwell, Not on the Baldock memorials
Pre War
Oben Strickland was born in 1883 in Ashwell, Herts, the son of Charles and Annie Strickland, and baptised on 1 April 1883 in Ashwell. He was one of eight children.
On the 1891 Census the family were living in Mill Street, Ashwell, where his father was working as a labourer. They remained in Mill Street in 1901 at which time Oben was working as a builder's labourer, and in 1911 he was one of three sons living at home in Mill Street with his parents.
Before enlistment he was employed by E. K & H. Fordham in Ashwell. His parents later lived at 6 Moss Cottages, Ashwell, Baldock, Herts.
Wartime Service
Oben enlisted in Bedford in March 1915 and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment with the reg. no. 6422, receiving his basic training at Tring, Herts.
He was then drafted into the 7th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment and in November 1916 was posted to France. He was wounded on 10 December 1917 and died the same day at a casualty clearing station. He is buried in Tincourt New British Cemetery, Tincourt Churchyard, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £7 10s and pay owing of £6 5s 9d. Pension cards mistakenly have Oben's name as Owen but his regimental number, regiment and mother's name are correct and show that his mother was awarded a pension initially of 5 shillings a week, later rising to 6 shillings, then 12s 6d a week for life. Medal index cards also given his forename as Owen.
At the time of Oben's death four of his brothers were also serving: Bert, William, Victor and Eugene.
Acknowledgments
Derry Warners, Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson
