William James Wilkins taken 16 May 1908

William was born 17 April 1885 in Ipsden, Oxfordshire, 2nd child of John Wilkins and Harriet White. William joined the Corps of Hussars of the Line when he was 18 years old at the time he was a servant and also in the militaria of the 3rd Royal Berkshire Regiment. He was 5ft 3ins weighed 126lbs and his chest measurement was 34ins, like his brother Edward hardly a strapping lad. He had an anchor tattooed on his left forearm, grey eyes and brown hair. So on 12 September 1901 William joined the 14th Hussars and in 1904 extended his service to 8 years, He was in South Africa 1902-1903, His pay when he joined was 4d on leaving it had increased to 7d! In 1904 he transferred to the 13th Hussars and went to India for 5 years. I sent the above 'photo to the curator of the Hussars museum and he told me that the Hussars often trained using bicycles but he had never seen a 'photo of one before, there is now a copy of William in the museum. On leaving India William also left the army and went into the reserves until 1913 thus serving 12 years. On 22 October 1912 he married Juliette Gerin of whom I know nothing, her father was Jules Bruno Gerin, his occupation was a gardener, but I cannot find him or Juliette on any census. William was a domestic chauffer which was his occupation when all of his children were born with the exception of the war years when he was a chauffeur army service corps.

I have managed to trace a Grandaughter of William's, but unfortunately she could tell me nothing more about him.

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