10th (Service) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
Joseph Sydney King was born at Leckhampton, near Cheltenham in the third quarter of 1899, the son of John and Annie King, who were then living at Fountain Cottages, St James, Cheltenham. By 1911 the family (Joseph had two siblings) were living at Vine Tree Cottage, Chapel Lane, Great Norwood Street, Cheltenham. Joseph was a Boy Scout and a member of the choir at St James’ Church and prior to the war worked for Messrs W H Smith at their bookstall at Cheltenham Midland Railway Station.
He volunteered for Army service in December 1914. His stated age was 18 (the minimum for entry) when in fact he was 15. He was accepted and posted to the 10th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment and went to France on 9 August 1915.
On 25 September he went into action on the first day of the Battle of Loos. The 10th Glosters, part of 1 Brigade, 1 Division, were in the front line attacking the German lines just south of the Bois Carre. Despite heavy fire and many of the men being affected by the blowing back of the British gas, the Glosters broke through to the German third line of trenches but suffered devastating casualties, with fewer than 100 answering roll call at nightfall. Joseph King was severely wounded and evacuated to Netley Military Hospital, near Southampton, where he died of his wounds on 8 October 1915, aged just 16 (although his death certificate states 19).
After a funeral service at St James’ Church, he was buried in Cheltenham Cemetery, where a CWGC headstone marks his grave. He is commemorated on the Cheltenham Town War Memorial. There is a photograph of him in The Graphic of 16 October 1915.
The CWGC Register, compiled in the 1920s, shows his family living at 6 Brunswick Buildings, Upper Bath Road, Cheltenham but it is not known at what point after the 1911 Census this move took place.
Researched by Graham Adams 29 January 2013
(Acknowledgement to ‘Leaving all that was dear – Cheltenham in the Great War’ by Joe Devereux and Graham Sacker)