| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
William was born in Ireland in Kingstown, Co Dublin, in the late spring of 1879. On 30 Dec 1895 he joined the army as a private in the 1st Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment, probably serving with them in India. Rising through the ranks he became a senior NCO and in early 1911 arrived at Victoria Barracks in Beverley to join the 5th (Cyclists) Battalion of the regiment and became a Colour Sergeant in May 1914. His role was organising and training the part-time battalion. Nothing else is known of William’s early life as his service documents are missing.
Initially he lived at the barracks with his family but by the time of WWI, 78 Keldgate had become the family home. William had been married at Elham, near Canterbury, in Kent in late 1907. His wife, Rachel Kate (nee Herbert) was born in 1886 at Charlton Kings in Gloucestershire. Their first child, Eileen Mary, was born on 11 Oct 1909 at Bordon, near Aldershot, where the regiment was stationed at the time. However, their second child, Herbert William, was born in Beverley on 6 Jan 1913.
Upon the outbreak of war William transferred back to the 1st Battalion and arrived in France on 8 Sep 1914. They were sent to the north western region of France and took part in the Battle of Armentieres between 13 Oct and 2 Nov 1914. The 1st had two especially bloody days on 20 and 28 Oct. On both days massed German infantry attacks were made and counter attacks were made in the face of intense artillery bombardment and rifle and machine gun fire. Heavy casualties resulted and on one of these days William was badly wounded. He died at Erquingham Field Hospital at the age of 34. He is buried at Erquingham Lys Churchyard Extension, France. He was awarded the 1914 Star and the War and Victory Medals. He is commemorated on the Hengate Memorial, on the East Riding Memorial in the Beverley Minster and on the Irish WWI memorial.
His widow never remarried. She later lived on Warton Ave in Beverley and died there in 1981. Their daughter married in Beverley but died aged 99 in Great Yarmouth in 2008. Their son emigrated to South Africa and died there in 1983.
Includes information taken from census, military records |