Name
William James Ewington
1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
08/08/1915
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
11124
Gloucestershire Regiment
7th (Service) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HELLES MEMORIAL
Panel 101-104
Turkey (including Gallipoli)
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, Parchment in St Martin's Church, Preston, Plaque in St Martin's Church, Preston, Not on the King's Walden memorials, Stanway War Memorial, Stanway Glos.
Pre War
William James Ewington was born in 1893 at Kings Walden, Herts, the son of William and Caroline Ewington.
His mother Caroline died in 1897 and on the 1901 Census he was living with his widowed father, his widowed maternal grandmother, Betsy Saunders, and four siblings at Chequers Lane, St Ippollitts, where his father was working as a hay straw tyer.
By the time of the 1911 Census both William and his father were boarders at The Chequers, Preston, and were described as Fitter's Labourers. His father later lived at The Green, Preston, Hitchin, Herts.
Wartime Service
William enlisted in Cheltenham and joined the 7th (Service) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment.
The 7th Battalion was in the 39th Brigade of the 13th Division and sailed from Avonmouth on the 19th June 1915. They arrived in Mudros and, after a week, sailed on to Gallipoli landing at ‘Y’ Beach, Cape Helles on the 11th July. They were relieved on the 28th July and went to Gully Beach embarking for Mudros where they landed on the 29th July. They then sailed for Anzac on the 3rd August landing and to rest at Gully then on to Aghyl Dere on the 6th August. They reinforced the New Zealand Brigade at Rhododendron Spur and they were in action at Table Top on the 7th August. From 3.00am on the 8th August 1915 they toiled up an open hillside called Chunuk Bair and at dawn were met by devastating fire from Hill Q which should have been attacked earlier in the night by other units. Their leading platoons were practically wiped out, every officer and senior NCO being either killed or wounded. They were reduced to small groups commanded by junior NCOs and private soldiers and they fought dauntlessly from midday to sunset. The casualties in the Battalion were 48 killed, 123 wounded, 190 missing most of whom were killed or died of wounds. This was the natural result of the disgraceful generalship in the British Army displayed throughout the Gallipoli campaign.
He was killed in action in Gallipoli during battle of Chunuk Bair. He has no known grave, but is remembered on the Helles Memorial to the Missing at Gallipoli.
Additional Information
William left a will which gave his address as Stamway, Gloucestershire and administration was granted to Lucy Wynniatt, spinster, with effects of £67. She also received a war gratuity of £3. His father received pay owing of £5 12s 6d.
His pension cards record his father, as his next of dependant, living in Preston, near Hitchin, but there are no details of any pension awarded.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Adrian Dunne, Philip Wray Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild,
