35th Divisional Train, Army Service Corps (Horse Transport)
Hartley Francis Long was the eldest of five sons born to John Long and his wife Frances Sophia. He was born at Berkeley, Gloucestershire in August 1895.
After leaving school he became a farm labourer and at the time of the 1911 Census the family lived at Hanfield, Berkeley. His younger brothers were William George, Jack Henry, Frank and Robert Victor.
His father had previously been a dock labourer at Sharpness but by the time of the above census had changed to being a farm cowman.
He enlisted into the Army at Wotton-under-Edge on 13 January 1915, on a Short Service attestation, when aged 20 years and five months and living at Barrs Lane, North Nibley. He was posted to Darley Dale Camp, near Matlock, Derbyshire, where he underwent training for a role in the Army Service Corps (ASC), Horse Transport.
Evidently a previous application to join the Army had been turned down on medical grounds.
A Service Record has survived for Driver Long and this confirms that the died on 8 May 1915 aged 20, at 3rd Northern General Hospital, Sheffield from a cerebral haemorrhage, having served in the Army for a total of 116 days.
The Cheltenham Chronicle of 22 May 1915 reported his funeral at North Nibley and noted that he was considered ‘a promising young soldier’ and that his commanding officer described him as ‘an efficient and smart soldier’.
Evidently his younger brother, probably Jack Henry, was also serving with the ASC.
Hartley Long was buried in North Nibley Churchyard with a private stone headstone marking his grave. Over the years the wording on this became virtually indecipherable and the Commonwealth War graves commission erected one of their standard headstones on the grave plot, to ensure his proper and continuing commemoration.
Researched by Graham Adams 11 January 2015