| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
William George King was born in Etton in 1896, the eldest son of Herbert Theophilus King and his wife Alice (nee Poppleton). Herbert was a shepherd, from East Bilney, Norfolk and Alice was from Nun Monkton. William was baptised at Etton Church on 3 Jan 1897. He had seven younger brothers: Thomas Arthur, Albert Edward, Frederick, Herbert, Peter Poppleton, John (who died in infancy) and Benjamin and an elder sister, Ruth. Two younger sisters, Mabel and Ethel Mary both died as infants. In 1911, 14 year old William was living at Throstle Nest Farm, Watton, Hutton Cranswick, where he was employed as a 'horse lad' by Alfred William Simpson, farmer. By early 1915 he was back in his home village, working for Thomas Whipp, farmer, of Etton.
William enlisted in the 5th Battalion, Alexandra Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment (The Green Howards) on 21 Mar 1915. Following a period of training in England he disembarked in France with a batch of reinforcements on 1 Nov 1915. He was posted to 'D' Company of the 5th Yorkshires (150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division) at that time serving in the Armentieres Sector (but soon to move to the Ypres Salient). In 1916 the Division was engaged in several phases of the Battle of the Somme. During Apr to May 1917 they took part in the Battle of Arras. The 5th Yorkshires fought in the later stages of the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) in Oct and Nov 1917. Writing to his mother in Dec 1917, William informed her he had been awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field for saving the life of another soldier near the German lines. News of the award was reported in the Beverley Guardian of 29 Dec 1917 and announced in the London Gazette of 4 Feb 1918
The 50th Division was located south east of Amiens in Mar 1918 and was behind the line at the onset of the German Spring Offensive on 21 Mar. They moved forward, encountering the Germans on 22 and 23 Mar. In the subsequent days the Division undertook a ferocious fighting (and confused) retreat westwards towards Amiens. They suffered heavy losses. William was killed near Rosieres-en-Santerre on 28 Mar. He was twenty-one years old.
William has no known grave. His name is inscribed on the Pozieres Memorial to the Missing, Somme, France.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |