Clarence Hoskins

Story:
Clarence Hoskins was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 5 Aug 1894 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church, Shaftesbury, on 2 Sep 1894 the son of John Charles Hoskins and Rosina Hoskins (nee Tullett).  He spent much of his early life in Long Cross, Enmore Green, Shaftesbury, Dorset.   He enlisted and joined the Dorsetshire Regiment as a Private (Service No. 10994).  He served with the 5th and 6th Battalions mainly in the Balkans.  Whilst in service with the 5th Battalion he was admitted to the 151st Field Ambulance on 22 Aug 1915 with a bullet wound to the left arm and had to be taken by trawler to a hospital ship for treatment and again on the 4 Apr 1917 when with the 6th Battalion was admitted to the 51st Field Ambulance with scabies (a common problem in the field) and was transferred on 5th Apr 1917 to the 18th Casualty Recovery Station.  He was eventually discharged on 14 Jan 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the 1915 Star.   He moved to Bedwelty, Monmouthshire, South Wales, for employment in the coal mines.  He met and married Annie May Wheeler in Bedwelty in 1920. The Census of 1921 shows him living at 7 Hillside Avenue, Bedwelty, working as a Collier's Assistant for the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company then by the time of the 1939 Register he was living at 7 Bryn Crescent, Bedwelty, Monmouthshire, working as a Coal Hewer.  His death is registered at Bedwelty in 1966.  His brothers, Harold Percival Hoskins was killed at the Battle of Jutland and Thomas Frank Hoskins died serving in the Army.