Name
Oliver Frederick (*1)
21 July 1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/04/1917
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
23304
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 5.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Barkway Village Memorial, St Mary Magdalene Church Memorial, Barkway, St Mary’s Church Memorial, Reed, Newsells Memorial Stone
Pre War
Oliver Frederick Layton was born on 21 July 1894 in Noel Villas, Reed, Herts, the younger son of William Henry and Hannah Layton (nee Hale) and one of six children. He was baptised on 16 September 1894 at St Mary's Church, Reed and educated at Barkway School, Herts.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Noel Villas, Reed where his father was working as a horsekeeper on a farm. They remained there in 1911, at which time, Oliver was working as a farm labourer. The family later lived at the Cottages, Bury Farm, Newsells, Barkway, Herts
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Royston on 15 November 1915 and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment, serving with the 4th Battalion in France from 1 July 1916.
Oliver Frederick was reported missing after fighting at La Gavrelle on 23 April 1917 and later assumed to have been killed in action on that date. He has known grave and his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £6 and pay owing of £5 16s 3d. A pension card exists in respect of Oliver and his brother Cecil with his mother as dependant but no pension amount is recorded.
Brother of Cecil William John Layton who was killed in action on 9 October 1916 and is listed on the same Hertfordshire memorials.
(*1) N.B. Oliver's birth was registered as Oliver Frederick Layton, he was baptised with that name and listed on 1901 and 1911 Censuses as Oliver but military records for some reason seem to all list his name as Frederick Oliver Layton.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Paul Johnson, Adrian Pitts, Malcom Lennox
