Private George RADBOURN (1870–1898)

George Radbourn was born in Shifford, Oxfordshire near the beginning of 1870, the son of John & Sarah Radbourn. In his army records his surname is spelt Radburne, and Radband was another variant.

At the time of the 1871 census he was eleven months old and living at Cold Harbour, Brighthampton, Shifford with his father John, who was a carter, his mother Sarah, and his older siblings Alice (5) and John (3), who had been born at Cogges near Witney to the north.

In 1881 George (10) was a ploughboy, now living at Cogges with his parents and three more younger siblings: Joseph (8), William (4), and Jane (2). His father was still working as an agricultural carter.

In 1891 George (20) was a leather dresser living at Oxford Road in Cogges with his parents and another four siblings: Maud (9), Kate (6), Ethel (4), and Sarah (2). His father was now working as a shepherd,

George gave his occupation as a labourer when on 23 January 1895 he enlisted at Oxford in the 2nd Battalion of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry.

He was sent to India immediately (regimental no. 4972), and served both on the Punjab Frontier and at Tirah in 1897/8. He died at Tirah of enteric fever at the age of 28 on 1 June 1898.

He was posthumously awarded the India Medal with two clasps.