‘A’ Supply Company, Army Service Corps
Daniel James Hamblett was born in 1895, the son of Joseph and Eliza Hamblett.
He lived at 25 Melbourne Street , Gloucester and his occupation, upon enlistment, was a baker.
On 24 March 1915 he joined ‘A’ Supply Company of the Army Service Corps. His Army career lasted a mere 63 days, as he died of pneumonia in Connaught Hospital, Aldershot on 25 May 1915, aged 19 years and seven months.
It appears that all his service was UK based. and his personal effects were sent to his mother at the Melbourne Street address above, his father having pre-deceased him on 27 June 1909, aged 53.
Private Hamblett was buried with his father in the Gloucester Old Cemetery and both of their graves are marked with a simple low stone marker. It would appear that the inscription edging was renewed in 2010.
As Private Hamblett did not serve abroad there is no Medal Index Card but surprisingly his record survives (in part), as one of the ‘Burnt Documents’ in the National Archives in spite of the fact that about 60% of the Army Service Records were destroyed due to enemy action in 1941.
His funeral was briefly reported in the Cheltenham Chronicle of 5 June 1915.
Two of Daniel’s brothers also feature in the CWGC records. Melville Augustus (born 1899) was killed in action on 5 August 1918, whilst serving with the 8th Battalion, Berkshire Regiment (number 44612): he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial to the Missing.
Alfred Frederick Hamblett served with the Norfolk Regiment (32184), East Surrey regiment (26043) and finally as 134973 with the Royal Army Medical Corps. He contracted tuberculosis and was discharged from the Army in September 1918 and died on 5 July 1920 and is buried in Gloucester Old Cemetery.
Researched by Graham Adams 12 June 2019 (revised)