| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
William Gleadhill was born in Beverley the 11 July 1882. He was one of six sons born to Elizabeth Gleadhill (nee Hardy) and James Henry Gleadhill. They were both from Beverley and married in 1882. James was a chalk pit labourer. The family lived in Grosvenor Place, but later moved to 13 Sloe Lane. William joined the Post Office, he served as a “rural postman”. In 1899 he was appointed to the route from Beverley to Leconfield Parks and in 1902 to the route from Beverley to Arram. In late 1905 he married Mary Ethel Watson, born in 1884, of Beverley Parks. They had two children: Dorothy born 17 Aug 1907 and Kathleen born 14 Sep 1911. Both were baptised at Beverley Minster. The family lived at 18 Regent Street in Beverley.
William enlisted on 7 Dec 1915, and was called up for service on 7 Jul 1916. He was allocated to the 13th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment (the 4th Hull Pals) but was transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry where he reached the rank of lance-corporal. He served in France but received a gunshot wound to the head (in unknown circumstances) in January 1917. He returned to service and according to the Beverley Guardian of 18 May 1918 was “wounded by shell shock”. His medical records say that he was hospitalised in the UK (at Leytonstone and Romford) with “trench fever and shell shock” from 16 May 1918 to 20 Jul 1918. He was then transferred to a reserve battalion for the rest of the war. He was suffering from neurasthenia when he left the army and was suffering from headaches and tremors according to his doctors. He was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
After the war William returned to his old job as a postman but after 1928 seems to have been doing rounds in Beverley itself. He was living with his family at 2 Long Lane. He died in 1945. His wife died in 1956.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |