Now the purist will pull a face at this picture postcard of the Artillery Barracks in Woolwich.
For a start the quality is poor, and the date is in question.
But I know it was sent in 1914, and if I have read the post mark correctly, the month was June, which given the location and date pitches us into a time just before the Great War.
And that of courses presents us with a story, which begins in Portsea, and finishes at Cadwallon Road New Eltham, and in between covers the military service of Captain George Leonard Cockaday.
It also means, that the picture is just the start.
I had little expectation that the name on the reverse of the card would take me away from Woolwich or that I would find out much about the chap the postcard was sent to.
This was Captain George Leonard Cockaday, which I reasoned was unusual enough name to mean that that the chances of finding him were quite strong.
And I did, first in the army lists for 1902 and again in 1914. Our man was born in the July of 1853, and had joined the army rising to the rank of Sergeant Major before becoming an officer in 1896 as a second lieutenant and retired by 1908 as a Captain.
He was called back to the Colours and is listed as a Captain in the Royal Artillery and was granted the rank of honorary major in 1919.
He died in December 1930 and is buried in the parish church in Eltham.
I know also that he was married twice, first to Louisa and later to Bertha and at his death he left, £1,442.
There will be plenty more and it is just a matter of looking.
What makes him particularly interesting in that he rose through the ranks.
Leaving me just to reflect that I can be fairly sure that the postcard was sent in June, because that was the month he was born and the message on the back, wishes him “Many Happy Returns of the Day”, and hoping that “the field day went well”.
Location Woolwich
Picture; Royal Artillery Barracks, 1914, courtesy of David Harrop
 |
| On Parade |
But I know it was sent in 1914, and if I have read the post mark correctly, the month was June, which given the location and date pitches us into a time just before the Great War.
And that of courses presents us with a story, which begins in Portsea, and finishes at Cadwallon Road New Eltham, and in between covers the military service of Captain George Leonard Cockaday.
 |
| The Barracks |
I had little expectation that the name on the reverse of the card would take me away from Woolwich or that I would find out much about the chap the postcard was sent to.
This was Captain George Leonard Cockaday, which I reasoned was unusual enough name to mean that that the chances of finding him were quite strong.
And I did, first in the army lists for 1902 and again in 1914. Our man was born in the July of 1853, and had joined the army rising to the rank of Sergeant Major before becoming an officer in 1896 as a second lieutenant and retired by 1908 as a Captain.
He was called back to the Colours and is listed as a Captain in the Royal Artillery and was granted the rank of honorary major in 1919.
 |
| Many happy returns |
I know also that he was married twice, first to Louisa and later to Bertha and at his death he left, £1,442.
There will be plenty more and it is just a matter of looking.
What makes him particularly interesting in that he rose through the ranks.
Leaving me just to reflect that I can be fairly sure that the postcard was sent in June, because that was the month he was born and the message on the back, wishes him “Many Happy Returns of the Day”, and hoping that “the field day went well”.
Location Woolwich
Picture; Royal Artillery Barracks, 1914, courtesy of David Harrop
No comments:
Post a Comment