Name
William Fantham
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
08/05/1916
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
2162
Leicestershire Regiment
1st/5th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 2 C and 3 A.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Tring memorials, Memorial, WW1, Wendover , Bucks., WW1, St Marys Church, Wendover, Bucks.
Pre War
William George Fantham was born in Wendover, Bucks., in 1894 to William Fantham, labourer, and Ernest (born1898) were living at Tring Road, Clay Lane, Wendover.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents, William G (labourer), Ernest (houseboy) and Arthur (born 1904) were living at Clay Lane, Wendover.
At some time before enlistment he was residing in Tring.
Wartime Service
William G enlisted as a Territorial Private 2162 in the 1st/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment. No Service Record was found for him. 1st/5th Battalion was formed in August 1914 : in Loughborough where William may have joined on its formation.
The Battalion was part of Lincoln and Leicester Brigade, North Midland Division. It soon moved to Luton and by Nov 1914 was at Bishop’s Stortford. The Battalion, including William, landed at Le Havre 28 Feb 1915 thus becoming the first Territorial Force Division in France, 138 Brigade in May 1915 became part of138 Brigade, 46 (North Midland) Division. They were deployed to the Ypres area in Jun 1915 and were involved in the German Fire Attack (Flamethrowers) 30-31 July 1915.
They were moved to the Loos Sector to take part in the failed attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt 913-14 Oct 1915) before being deployed to Egypt for a few days before returning to France on the Somme. On 1 Jul 1916 they took part in the Diversionary Attack on Gommecourt, sustaining heavy casualties. William appears to survived this action but was killed in action on 8 May 1916, his remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £7 10s and arrears of £10 15s 7d was paid to his father.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
