Name
William Frederick Gibbs
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/10/1918
34
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
208019
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
11th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MOORSEELE MILITARY CEMETERY
B. 19.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
LET NOT YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Tring memorials
Pre War
William Frederick Gibbs was born in 1884 in Bellingdon to Eli Gibbs, farm labourer, and Lizzie (Elizabeth nee Maple).
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, William, Jesse (born 1886) were living at Buckland, Aylesbury, Bucks.
On the 1901 and 1911 Census the family of parents, William, Jesse and Ada were living at Buckland Common, Aylesbury, Bucks. There had been a brother to William , Alfred (born 1885, died 1886).
Wartime Service
No Service record was found for William who enlisted as Territorial with the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, probably soon after the Great War commenced. The serial number for him (267325) suggests that he was still serving with Ox & Bucks when the Territorial Force was renumbered in 1917.
He was transferred to Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) and given the serial 208019, which was in the number sequence allocated to 4th Battalion (a Territorial Force unit). William was posted to 11th (Service) Battalion (Lambeth) of the Queen’s, a part of 123 Brigade, 41st Division.
In 1918 the Division had returned from Italy on the Piave river and were deployed to Ypres taking part in the Advance in Flanders at the Battles of Ypres (28 Sep-2 Oct), Courtrai (14-19 Oct) and Oosteghem (25 Oct). William was reported killed in action on 26 Oct 1918.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £19 10s and arrears of £8 16s 0d was paid to his father Eli.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
