1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
Jesse Benjamin Orchard was a pre-war career soldier with almost nineteen years unbroken service.
He was born at Old Sodbury in the south of Gloucestershire in 1877 and baptised on 14 October of that year.
His parents were Robert John Orchard (1836-1884), a general labourer and his wife Ruth (née Russell: 1838-1881).
He was one of twelve children, born between the years of 1859-1879. At the time of the 1881 Census the family lived at Old Hill, Old Sodbury. His mother died in the same year as the census, when he was aged three or four and three years later his father too was dead.
It appears that he was taken in by a relative in the Orchard family, who lived in the Badminton area, near to Old Sodbury.
Jesse became a tailor and that was his declared occupation when he applied to join the Army on 18 October 1898, aged 21. His Army Service Record has survived, so there is quite a lot of information on his extended Army career.
He enlisted for twelve years, of which at least seven were to be spent ‘with the Colours’ and the remainder in the Reserve. His expressed wish to join the Gloucestershire Regiment was granted.
He spent the period 18 October 1898 to 31 December 1899 in training at the Glosters’ depot in Bristol and was posted to the 2nd Battalion on 1 January 1900.
The Battaion was sent to South Africa where he was wounded at Klip Drift, Cape Colony on 16 February when the British Army took part in an action to relieve Kimberley from the Boers.
After returning to the UK in early July 1900 he returned to South Africa in mid October and remained there until November 1902. He spent the next eight years in India and whilst there was promoted to Lance Corporal (December 1905|) and to Corporal in early 1909.
In December 1906 he was granted leave to extend his service ‘with the Colours’ to the full twelve years of his engagement.
In November 1910 he returned to the UK and in the previous March he had been permitted to extend his term of service with the Glosters through to twenty-one years’ service. He was now attached to the 1st Battalion and the 1911 Census shows him based at Cambridge Barracks, Portsmouth.
Promotion to Lance Serjeant came in December 1912 and to full Serjeant on 7 August 1914 just three days after war was declared.
The 1st Glosters, part of 3 Brigade, 1st Division, were sent to France and Flanders on 13 March 1914, as part of the six division British Expeditionary Force (BEF).
The battalion was soon in action, trying to stem the German advance through Belgium and France and took part in what became known as ‘The Retreat from Mons’.
On 14/15 September Jesse suffered a shrapnel wound to his left arm at Vendresse. He was sent back to England for treatment and the Western Daily Press of 29 September reported Serjt. Jesse Orchard of Cirencester is being cared for in Southmead Hospital (Bristol) and the Cheltenham Chronicle of 3 October stated that he was struck on the left wrist by a shell on 14 September.
Jesse was to remain in England until 21 October 1916, when he returned to France.
The 1st Glosters had been engaged in the five month long Somme Offensive of 1916. It had suffered over 200 casualties attacking High Wood on 8/9 September and had subsequently been pulled out of the front line to regroup, so it is doubtful that Jesse saw any meaningful action before he returned to England on 29 December 1916.
The reason for his return is not known but may have been connected to illness. He was discharged from the Army on 21 June 1917, as ‘no longer fit for military service’, having served continuously for 18 years and 247 days.
Unfortunately no Army Pension Record file has survived to give details of his discharge, however, a recently released Pension Record Card states that he was suffering from ‘trench nephritis’ (inflammation of the kidney), which was attributable to his military service.
A family tree published on Ancestry states that he was discharged from Bermondsey Military Hospital, Ladywell Road, Lewisham but the source of this information has not been verified.
Having received a Silver War Badge, to indicate discharge from military service, it not known if Jesse was able to resume a civilian occupation.
His name appears on the Electoral Register as living at 129 Cricklade Street, Cirencester in 1918-1920. He may have shared a house with his sister-in-law, the wife of Walter Orchard, whom he had stated in his Army papers to be his next of kin.
Former Serjeant Jesse Benjamin Orchard died aged 42 at Cirencester presumably at home on 1 August 1920 but it is not known if his kidney condition caused his death.
He was buried in Cirencester (Chesterton) Cemetery on 3 August 1920 and a private, stone cross marks his grave.
The inscription notes his participation in the South African War 1900-1902 and that he died of injuries received in the Great War.
Researched by Graham Adams 3 May 2021