ASLING, Edward Hosner [of Newark]
A Librarian remembered
BarbKW
Private 306008 Edward Hosner Asling. Sherwood Foresters and 2nd/8th Bn. attached. 2nd/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment
Edward (Ted) Asling was born in 1888 and in the 1891 he was living with his parents John and Mary and older brothers and sisters, Edwin, John, Letitia and Eleanor in Chatham Street Newark. In 1901 the family lived in Cross Street. By the time of 1911 census he is recorded living at 70 Milner Street with his widowed mother Mary and his younger sister Eleanor.
He was an assistant librarian at the Gilstrap Free Library in Newark. Ted Asling joined the Sherwood Foresters and was a servant to Lieutenant Colonel Coape Oates.
Private Asling was killed in action in France on 9th May 1918, he was 30.
He is buried in the Robecq Communal cemetery in Pas de Calais.
( Robecq is a village and commune about 37 kilometres north-north-west of Arras, and 9 kilometres north-north-east of Bethune on the N37 road.
The Communal Cemetery is on the St Venant side (north) of Robecq, 500 metres from the church on the left hand side of the main N37 road.)
Ted Asling is remembered on
Newark Borough memorial in Newark cemetery
St Mary Magdalen church parishioners war memorial
St Mary Magdalen church, Newark roll of honour
British Library Memorial
In 1923 The Library Association commissioned the calligraphers Edward Johnston and H Lawrence Christie to design a roll of honour commemorating the British librarians who fell in the Great War. The memorial remained at the British Museum until 1998 when the memorial and photographs of many of the individuals named were transferred moved to the British Library
In 1921 The Newark War memorial was unveiled in what had been the Eastern churchyard of the Parish church.
Family wreaths were laid in memory of the war dead of Newark including Private Ted Asling
"In the ever-loving memory of Sergt. F.H. Smith and Pte Asling who gave their lives for their country, 1917 - 1918. 'Dear Daddy and Uncle Ted we would remember you in the morning, and in the evening we do not forget'. Maurice, Frank and Mary"
"In ever loving memory of my dear Brother, Pte Ted Asling, and a dear brother-in-law, Pte F.H. Smith, who gave their lives for their country, 1917-18. Their name liveth for evermore. From Sister Lettie".
From a List of wreaths laid at the unveiling of Newark War Memorial on Sunday 24th April 1921. As reported in The Newark Herald newspaper, 30th April 1921.
Acknowledgements
With thanks to
Information supplied by www.ournottinghamshire.org.uk - a local history website for Nottinghamshire.
Jason Webber and www.livesofthefirdtworldwar.org
www.cwgc.org
Trevor Frecknall, “Newark in the Great War”
Census records 1881,1891.1901.1911
.
Lieutenant Colonel Coape Oates.
Private Asling was killed in action in France on 9th May 1918, he was 30.
He is buried in the Robecq Communal cemetery in Pas de Calais.
.