Oscar Pepper was born in Peasenhall, Suffolk, in 1877. He moved to Woodbridge in the 1890s and lived on Castle Street. In 1903, Oscar married Florence Hill at St Johns Church, Woodbridge. In 1911, the family was living in Castle Street and Oscar worked as a house painter for St Audry’s Hospital.

Oscar joined the Woodbridge branch of the Suffolk Volunteer Brigade on 23rd February 1898 and served with them until the militia was reorganised under the Haldane reforms of 1908. In April that year, the 4th (Territorial) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment was created and Oscar was one of the first to re-enlist. He attended the battalion’s summer training camps every year, up until 1913 and, in February 1914, he was re-engaged for a further period of a year’s service with the battalion.

On 2nd August 1914, Oscar was attending the annual training camp when orders were received to break camp and return to civilian life due to the imminent outbreak of war. On returning to Woodbridge, the senior officers decided to keep the men together so that the battalion would be available for mobilisation if and when war was declared.

Late in the evening on Tuesday 4th August, news of the declaration of war reached Woodbridge, along with the Kings proclamation, which embodied all reservists and territorial forces members. After training the battalion was posted to France in November 1914.

Either due to his age or because he was one of those that did not sign up to serve abroad (members of the Teritorial Force did not have to), Oscar did not go to France. Instead, he was posted with the remaining men from the battalion to Cromer for home service duties. Oscar remained in North Norfolk until 9th April 1916 when he was discharged on the termination of his period of engagement. Rather than return to St Audry’s, Oscar was employed in munitions work for the rest of the war.

Oscar died in 1936 and is buried in Woodbridge Old Cemetery. For his service with the Suffolk Volunteer Brigade and the 4th (Territorial) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, Oscar received the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal on his discharge from the battalion.