Name
William Arthur Fincher
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/08/1917
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Rifleman
472392
London Regiment (The Rangers)
2nd/12th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 54.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Tring memorials, Northwood WW1 And WW2 (, Northwood, Greater London
Pre War
William Arthur Fincher was born in Tring in 1894 to Arthur Ernest Fincher, and Sarah Jane (nee Osborn).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Herbert (born 1892), William and Leonard (born 1897) were living at The Arnold, Western Road, Tring.
On the 1911 Census William and Herbert were house painters and living with their parents (father was a paperhanger) and Leonard (a helper in a cycle shop) all living at Church Road, Ruislip, Middx.
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for William, he was enlisted in the County of London Regiment as Rifleman 472392 in 1916 and was posted to 2nd/12th Battalion (the Rangers). This Territorial Battalion as part of 175 Brigade, 58 (2/1 London) Division went to France on 4 Feb 1917, William joining them on 21 Mar 1917.
They were to take part in the latter stages of the pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line (17-28 March) and the Battle of Bullecourt (4-17 May 1917), the actions of the Hindenburg Line (20 May -16 Jun), before moving to the Ypres Sector for the Battle of Passchendaele (3rd Ypres). William was reported killed on 14 Aug 1917, probably during a period when he was on Trench Duties in the Front Line. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £5 10s and arrears of £2 17s 11d was paid to his mother. His brother Leonard served in Corporal (motor cyclist) 3525 Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force from 3 Feb 1915 to 10 Apr 1921. Brother Herbert served in Army Service Corps (Motor Transport) from 13 Sep 1915 to 20 Aug 1919 including service in France.
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (The Rangers).
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
