2nd Lt. Harold Shoosmith

He lived in Russia for 14 years and in Germany for 3 years

1882 May 6. Born Russia

1882 Sep 10 Christened in St Petersberg. Son of Henry Charles Shoosmith Mother's Name: Alice Mary. His parents were back in UK in 1911 census. His father was a"plait merchant", but Harold is not with the family. Straw plaiting is a method of manufacturing textiles by braiding straw and the industry that surrounds the craft of producing these straw manufactures. Straw is plaited to produce products including straw hats and ornaments, and the process is undertaken in a number of locations worldwide.

1910 Apr 24. Married in St Petersberg, Russia to Margaret Luise Vogt. Certificate of Marriage in the British-American Church, St Petersburg. One of the witnesses was Charles Eric Shoosmith, presumably the brother of the groom. She died 1916 in St Petersberg

1911 Apr 18. Twins born in St Petersburg - the boy was Leslie Howard who married in London in 1945

1916 Jan 14 His wife died in St Petersberg

1916 Mar 2 Enlisted in RFC. His service record says that he was a Technical Revisor of Breweries , Miller & Co, in St Petersberg for 10 years before enlisting

1917 Nov 27 Not actually called up for service until this date

1918 Mar 11. Commissioned 2nd Lt in RFC

RAF Service Record

1918 Oct 7. Censured by GCC ??

1919 May 25. RAF Transferred to unemployed list.

1919 Jun 27. 2nd Lt. H. Shoosmith, R.A.F., to be temp. 2nd LE., Gen. List.

He then served in Military Mission to South Russia, and presumably got St Stanislaus Medal for this.The British Military Mission in South Russia was only evacuated in March 1920 after Denikin's forces were routed by a Red Army ...

1920 Mar 15 Sent back to UK for drunkeness

1920 Jul 28 He is having money problems

 

1920 Oct 18. General List, relinquishes his commission Temp. 2nd Lt. H.Shoosmith, and retains the rank of 2nd Lt

1920 Nov 3. Joined ADRIC with service no 960. Posted to Depot Coy. He has 2nd class St Stanislaus Medal

1920 Nov 6. "Services dispensed with" He did not last long

1929 Oct/Dec Married in London to Theodora I Morris

1939 He is living at Elmwood Rd, Croydon

1958 Feb . Died London aged 75.

 

ADRIC

Gordon Leslie Shoosmith   24 11 1949  Keswick
son of Leslie Howard Shoosmith 11 04 1911  St Petersburg
Grandfather Harold Shoosmith  6 05 1882  
 
My grandfather is a family enigma, ie a lot of information re him has not been passed on to future generations, so we have various Unsubstantiated stories about him. We have always felt that information has been withheld – but for what reason we don't know
We have a letter from my fathers twin sister Margret Alice Shoosmith (referred to as Aunt Peggy) within the family that detail their escape from Russia in 1917

WO 374/62150 His army record