Search our records : Herbert Jack Northcott

Herbert Northcott was born in London in 1895, but in 1911 he was a boarder at the King’s School, Ottery St. Mary.  He joined the army at Exeter on 23^rd November 1914, and the following day went to Aldershot, where he joined the Royal Army Service Corps. He gave his occupation as farmer, and his next of kin was his father, Mr. H. Northcott at the Dolphin Hotel, Beer.

He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 7^th March 1915, and to Corporal two months later.  He left Southampton for France on 5^th September 1915 as part of the 3^rd Company, 30^th Divisional Train, and landed at Le Havre the following day.

It was almost two years (July 1917) before Herbert had any home leave.  Then, in December 1917 he spent a period in hospital, although his army record does not explain why.  He had two weeks home leave in March 1918, and then appears to have been in hospital at the time of the Armistice, as he was admitted on 10^th November 1918, first to the 10^th Casualty Clearing Station, and then to the 3^rd Canadian General Hospital, to be treated for the flu.  This was at the time of the devastating epidemic of ‘Spanish flu’, which eventually killed more people than the war itself, so Herbert was lucky to recover.

Herbert was discharged from the army on 11^th June 1919.  He died in 1963, aged 1968.