Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Nathaniel Booth, a farm labourer, born 1861 in Thurlaston, Leicestershire (son of Henry Clayton Booth, 1831-1901 and Emily Smith, 1835-1911) and his wife Adeliza Booth (nee Smith, married on the 29th January 1883 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham, Rutland), born on the 25th March 1864 in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire (daughter of Naphtali Smith, 182-1865 and Wyramenta Holland, 1818-1908). Naphtali was born in the April quarter of 1889 in Oakham and baptised on the 15th September 1889 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham, his siblings were, Fanny, a schoolgirl, born in the January quarter of 1883 and baptised on the 28th October 1883 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham and Henry, a schoolboy, born in the October quarter of 1886 in Oakham and baptised on the 15th September 1889 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham, both siblings were born in Oakham, also residing with the family was Naphtali’s widowed paternal grandmother, Wyramenta Smith, a licensed hawker, born 1816 in Waltham, Leicestershire, in April 1891 the family home was at John’s Court, John Street, Oakham.
In March 1901 Naphtali was residing in the family home at Bett’s Barn, Barleythorpe, Oakham, together with his father, a farm labourer, his mother and siblings, Albert, born in the October quarter of 1891 and baptised on the 11th September 1892 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham, John, born on the 14th January 1896 and baptised on the 6th February 1896 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham, Nathaniel, born on the 19th February 1898 and baptised on the 10th April 1898 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham and Aaron James, born on the 6th June 1900, all his siblings were born in Oakham, also residing with the family was Naphtali’s widowed paternal grandmother, Wyramenta Smith, a hawker of general goods.
In April 1911 Naphtali was absent from the family home at Dennisons Lodge, Barleythorpe, Oakham, residing there was his father, a shepherd, his mother and siblings, Albert, a cowman, John, a farm labourer, Nathaniel, a schoolboy, Aaron, a schoolboy, Mary Kezia, a schoolgirl, born on the 9th November 1901 and baptised on the 4th February 1903 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham and Beatrice, born in the October quarter of 1907, the latter two siblings were both born in Oakham, meanwhile Naphtali alias Nathaniel was serving as a Gunner with No.7 Ammunition Column of the Royal Field Artillery and was stationed at Meerut, India.
NOTE: There were two families of Booths residing in Oakham at the time of the Great War, and the heads of both families, Albert Booth and Nathaniel Booth were brothers, and the sons of Henry Clayton Booth and his wife Emily (Emma) Smith. The War Memorial in All Saint’s Churchyard bears the names of the five sons of these two families, Nathaniel and John Booth were the sons of Albert and Emily Booth and Nathaniel, Napthali and Henry were the sons of Nathaniel and Adeliza Booth, Napthali enlisted into the Army and served with the alias of Nathaniel.
Naphtali’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted in Nottingham into the Royal Field Artillery using the alias of Nathaniel, and was allotted the service number 43439, and was posted as a Gunner to the Royal Artillery Depot for training, subsequently being posted to an unknown unit of the Royal Field Artillery. It is unknown when Naphtali first embarked to join the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, however as he was not recorded on the medal rolls for the 1914-15 Star, it must be assumed that it was at some time after the 31st December 1915. Nothing further is known of his military service until he was reported to have died at Amara on the 19th March 1916 from wounds received in action while serving with the 63rd Battery of the 10th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He was buried in Kut War Cemetery, Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq). Naphtali was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. Naphtali’s older brother Henry was killed in action on the 30th October 1914 and his younger brother Nathaniel was killed in action on the 8th June 1917 in France.
NOTE: Naphtali, had a younger brother Nathaniel, who was serving with the 1/5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment, and who was killed in action on the 8th June 1917. For reasons unknown Naphtali enlisted and served as a Gunner with the Royal Field Artillery using as an alias, the name Nathaniel. This of course has caused some confusion in certain quarters, and although he died of his wounds on the 19th March 1916 in Amara, Iraq, the Medal Roll and Medal Index Cards confusingly show the entry “Dead 20/5/1918.” The resultant in depth research to clarify the anomalies was finally successful when a copy of the Army Pension record card was discovered that showed quite clearly that Naphtali had indeed died in 1916, although it recorded the cause as killed as opposed to his having died of wounds, but it also identified that 43439, Gunner Naphtali Booth alias Nathaniel of the Royal Field Artillery was the brother of 241340, Private Nathaniel Booth of the Leicestershire Regiment who was killed on the 8th June 1917.
On Friday 21st, April 1916, The Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury published the following article on page 6, under the heading. – OAKHAM. – WAR CASUALTIES. – Official notification has been received by Mr. Nathaniel Booth, of Cold Overton-road, Oakham of the death of his son, gunner N. Booth, of the Royal Field Artillery. The deceased who was 27 years of age, had spent about seven years in India prior to being sent out with the Expeditionary Force from that country, and he had not been home at all during that period. This is the second bereavement the family have sustained through the war, another son, who received the D.C.M., being killed last year, and there is another son now fighting in France, and a fourth is in training, and expecting to go out shortly.
[recognitum XXV-IX-MMXXIV]

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Image from D Rimmington, 07/08/2023.