Name
William Ellis
27 Nov 1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
06/04/1918
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
15706
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
GOMMECOURT BRITISH CEMETERY NO.2, HEBUTERNE
V. H. 15.
France
Headstone Inscription
IN LOVING MEMORY DEAR MOTHER
UK & Other Memorials
All Saints Church, Datchworth Roll of Honour, All Saints Church Memorial, Datchworth, Not on the Welwyn Village memorials, We are not aware of any memorial in Burnham Green
Pre War
William was born in 1895 in Sandridge, Herts, the son of Fred Billington and Mary Ann Ellis, and was baptised on 31 March 1896 at Sandridge.
On the 1901 Census he was recorded as living with his uncle John Ellis and [grandmother?] Mary Ellis at Water End Farm, Burnham Green, Datchworth. Also living there was his mother Mary A Threader (then a widow, having married Joshua Threader in 1896) and siblings Charles and Thomas Ellis and half sibling Joshua Threader (aged 3).
They remained in Burnham Green in 1911 at which time (grandmother) Mary Ellis (aged 76) was listed as Head of the household and William and his brothers were named as nephews. William was then described as a farm labourer.
Wartime Service
William enlisted at Hertford and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment, arriving in France on 30 August 1915 to serve with the 6th Battalion.
The 6th Battalion were in the Front line near Rossignol Wood in early April 1918 under heavy bombardment and casualties were constant. William was killed during this period and was assumed to have died on 6 April 1918. His body and some of his comrades killed the same day were recovered and re-interred in Gommecourt No 2 Cemetery after the war had ended.
Additional Information
Mrs M. A. Ellis, Burnham Green, Welwyn Herts. ordered his headstone inscription: "IN LOVING MEMORY DEAR MOTHER".
His mother received a war gratuity of £16 10s and pay owing of £13 5s 10d. No pension seems to have been payable.
N.B. There is another William Ellis born in Welwyn in November 1895 and baptised in February 1896, the son of George and Lucy Ellis. They seem to be related to the Ellis family in Burnham Green.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
June Colegrove, Adrian Pitts, Pat Bird, Brenda Palmer
