Name
William Curtis
10 Mar 1886
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
12/03/1915
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
9174
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LE TOURET MEMORIAL
Panel 10 and 11.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
All Saints' Church Memorial(s), Hockerill, Bishops Stortford Town Memorial,
Pre War
William Curtis was born on 10 Mar 1886 in Tottenham, Middx to Henry Curtis, bricklayers Labourer, and Emma Eleanor (nee Reeves), but William was baptised in St Michael's, Bishop's Stortford on 11 Mar 1887, possibly because both his parents were born in Bishop’s Stortford.
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, Henry J (born 1885), William, Thomas (born 1888) and Alfred (born 1891) were living at Barbot St, Edmonton, London.
By the 1901 Census the family of parents, Henry J (bricklayers assistant), William (wood dealers assistant), Thomas, Ellen (born 1893), Elizabeth M (born 1898), and Alice (born 1901) had moved back to Bishop’s Stortford and were living at King Street.
William had enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 9174. No service Records were found for William but Service Number 8901 was issued 14 Jan 1907 and 9840 was issued 7 Aug 1908 suggesting he may have enlisted around July 1907for the standard term of 7 year service with the Colours and 5 years on Reserve and was serving with the 2nd Battalion in Bermuda and South Africa.
On the 1911 Census his parents, Henry J, Alfred, Elizabeth, Alice and Rhoda (born 1905) were living at 48 Collins Cross, Stansted Road, Bishops Stortford.
Wartime Service
William was serving in South Africa at Roberts Heights, Pretoria at the outbreak of the Great War and returned to England with his Battalion on 19 Sep 1914. After re-equipment, 2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regiment left between 4 and 6 Oct 1914, landing at Zeebrugge on 7 Oct 1914, part of 7 Division. The Division marched to join the BEF and by 18 Oct were in positions at Ypres on the Menin Road where they came under enemy rifle and shrapnel for the first time in the War. On 9 Nov 1914 the Battalion was ordered forward to hold a wood on the Ghelevelt/Zandvooorde Road but had to withdraw under heavy shelling and risk of being surrounded. They took part in the Battles of Langemarck (21-24 Oct) and Gheluvelt (29-31 Oct) as part of 1st Ypres.
During the Battle of Neuve Chapelle (1-13 Mar 1915) William was reported killed in action on 12 Mar 1915 in a counter attack on German positions when eventually one officer and 48 Germans surrendered while the 2nd Battalion were in the trenches (10-14 Mar 1915). 28 other Ranks were killed in this period. William’s remains were not recovered and he is remembered on Le Touret Memorial, near Bethune.
Additional Information
His father Henry was awarded a war gratuity of £5 and pay owing of £14 11s 6d.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
