G Waskett Private Royal Marines HMS Boadicea.

Tom, you got anything on the chap?

Thanks Tom. 

http://www.liverpoolmedals.com/Zulu-1879-J1235.html

Waskett’s medal looks like it has been repaired.  There are marks on the medal where the claw attaches the suspension to the medal itself (quite visible on the reverse); and the claw doesn’t look right.
 
 
Petty Officer Tom

I came across this post whilst checking some family names in Google.

I am the Hyatt/Waskett family genealogist.

I wonder if you could check the description notes I had written below and confirm that this is the same George Waskett and can you add anything to his biography for me please?

hyattfamily.co.uk/ppl/3/a/c637df0a3196c3fd0d04ce4c6a3.html

Thanks.

The link isn't working try this.

http://www.hyattfamily.co.uk/ppl/3/a/c637df0a3196c3fd0d04ce4c6a3.html

Jon,
 
Most of what I know of Waskett is in my post above (July 11, 2013.)  The only information which I can add is that on 22 March 1880 HMS Boadicea, along with the gun boats “Forester” and “Firebrand” bombarded the bush at Bantanga on the West Coast of Africa, and a party from “Boadicea” went ashore and burnt the town belonging to “King Jack.” As the party was on the beach preparing to return to the ship, they were fired upon and one marine and one seaman were killed.  I don’t know if Waskett was part of the landing party or not.
 
During the 1st Boer War Private Waskett, along with all the other marines, remained on board the ship and did not accompany the Naval Brigade.
 
His service record is available from the National Archives at:
 
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D7740802
 
 
Petty Officer Tom

Thank you.
From his service record he was discharged in 1879 after receiving his medal, and was not on the ship after that time. It appears he was not involved in any action other than working on the ship.

I am sorry, but this is inaccurate and does not do justice to an interesting individual and his family.

George Waskett enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 26 May 1874 and was discharged in 1895 after completing 21 years service at home and overseas. During that time he served in the Portsmouth Division and aboard HMS Hibernia, HMS Asia, HMS Boadicea, HMS Thalia, HMS St Vincent, HMS Raleigh and HMS Tamar. His Zulu War medal was awarded onboard Thalia while returning home with Boadicea's crew from South Africa in 1882, after the first Boer War. It was his sole medal entitlement.

After Discharge, in 1895, George lived with his family in Alverstoke and was employed at the RN Dockyard Portsmouth. His small house still exists overlooking the perimeter wall of the great Naval Hospital at Haslar and just two minutes away from the RN Cemetery, where the memorial to his shipmates on Boadicea, killed in South Africa, stands today.

George Waskett's long service was the beginning of a family tradition of soldiering in the Royal Marine Light Infantry. Before the Great War His eldest daughter married a RMLI private serving on the Royal Yacht Albert and Victoria (he was to die in 1916 and is buried at Haslar).

His two eldest sons both joined the RMLI, and both earned LSGC medals in the 1920's, having reached the ranks of Sergeant and Colour Sergeant respectively.

One son was with the Royal Marine Brigade that landed at Ostend in August 1914, during the first three weeks of the Great War, and again at Dunkerque. He was captured by the Germans during the Defence of Antwerp. He spent the whole of the war in captivity.

The second son served on HMS Euryalus and HMS Minotaur (among others), he received the King of Italy's Medal while on Euryalus for the rescue of victims of the Messina Earthquake in 1908 which killed many thousands in Southern Italy.

Both sons earned Great War medals.

There is much more research to do.

Steve

rusteze,
 
That is great additional information on Private Waskett.  Good job!  What inaccurate information did I post regarding him?  I will be happy to correct it.
 
 
Petty Officer Tom

Not you Tom, but our erstwhile genealogist.

Steve

rusteze,
 
Whew!  You had me worried there for a minute.    Do you happen to have a photo of Private Waskett, or know when he was married?
 
 
Petty Officer Tom

Thank you Steve, this is the kind of help I need. Piecing together information on individuals is difficult for me as I inherited this genealogy from a family that had haphazardly gathered paper evidence into boxes and boxes of unindexed chaos. I have been putting together a record of sorts from that, family related stories and the BMD's.

I agree that my efforts so far do not always do justice to them, that's why I look to others for corrections and advice. You and Tom have generously given me a great deal of good information to work with. I wish more people were willing to share their knowledge.

The lesson here is for me is to investigate service records more thouroughly, but where I will find the time I have no idea.

No photo sad to say. The 1911 census records that he had been married for 26 years, so 1885 ish. I have not found the marriage certificate yet, but they had 12 children at that point, 10 of whom survived, so that sounds about right.

Steve

Jon

You are exonerated! Grateful for anything you find on Waskett in your boxes.

Steve

Seems to be a lot of stories here:

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