Posted by Judith on 25/2/2023, 8:00 am, in reply to "Royal Navy"
Austin was the name of the family who owned the estate. If you go on the site for Tithe maps of east devon, you may find something to help locate it. Re recruiting, could have been Sidmouth, or Exeter, they might have had a recruiting drive, or he might have had a friend already serving who persuaded him to join up.