Name
William Henry Tucker
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/03/1918
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
24708
Grenadier Guards
3rd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 1.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
High Wych Village Memorial
Pre War
William Tucker was born in the summer of 1893 at High Wych, the illegitimate son of Mary Ann Tucker. In October 1893, Mary married Henry Aley who claimed to be William’s father, which legitimised the birth. However, in census returns, William was always recorded as being born in 1894.
In the 1911 census, William was recorded as a ‘Nursery Gardener’ and was living at Rowney Cottages.
Wartime Service
William was a ‘Kitchener’ volunteer, enlisting at Shepherd’s Bush on 4 November 1914. His preference was to join the Royal Garrison Artillery, and he may well have served with them initially. Later, William was transferred to the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards. His service number shows that this transfer took place at the end of December 1915.
In the Spring of 1918, William’s Battalion was near Arras, and was fighting an orderly withdrawal in the face of a large German offensive. William’s date of death is given as 27 March 1918. The Battalion diary shows that for the period 27-28 March 1918, 30 ‘other ranks’ were killed and 4 were missing. Since William Tucker has no known grave, he presumably was one of the 4 who were missing.
William Tucker is named on the Arras Memorial. He was aged 23.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Douglas Coe
