John Charles Hill, great-uncle: military records and an Irish connection

John Charles Hill was, I believe, the youngest brother of Susan Caroline Hill . He appears on the 1891 census aged six weeks, and his birth was registered in the March quarter of that year. In the 1901 census he is shown living with his mother and step-family in Camberwell, aged 10. By 1911, he is a 'solder' aged 20, in the household with his newly-widowed step-father Thomas Evans at 14 Beechfield Road, Catford. John registered his mother's death. On the certificate his normal residence is given as RWK Regiment, Bordon, Hants.

A search of the WWI pension and attestation papers on Ancestry.co.uk reveals a wealth of material relating not only to his military service, character and health, but also of the addresses of his next of kin, including his mother and siblings. It seems that John joined the Royal West Kent Special Reserves in May 1908 and went on to join the regular army in September of the same year, in the 1st battalion of the Royal West Kent regiment . At the time his declared age was 18 years and 7 months and his occupation is given as Harness Maker. His complexion was 'sallow', eyes brown and hair black. He was 5' 9" tall and weighed 12 stone 3lbs. He is shown to have achieved a 3rd class certificate of education whilst int he Special Reseaerves, and he also gained a Saddler's certificate in 1910.

John's military service was in the UK until August 1914, and he then spent nearly four years in Frances; he was wounded on 13th September 1914 and had leave in the UK for two weeks from 1-15 July 1918. He also spent time stationed in Dublin both before and after the first world war.

Before going to France, he married Florence Emily Williams on 25th June 1914 in Dublin. The couple had two children: Charlotte Frances Ainne, born 8 April 1915 and John Charles, born 18 September 1917, both in Dublin - all this is recorded on his military papers. 

The RWK 1914-18 website shows that the 1st battalion was based in Dublin in 1914. From the 15th August, the battalion moved to Le Havre and in December 1917 they 'moved with Division to Italy' and returned to France in April 1918.