Name
William Glenister
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/11/1917
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
266853
Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 153.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial,
St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor,
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley,
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
William Glenister was born on 11 May 1893 in Hemel Hempstead, the son of Amos and Lois Glenister and was one of nine children, although two died in infancy.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 10 Corner Hall, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, where his father was working as a Blacksmith. They remained at the same address on the 1911 Census by which time William was working as a Clerk at John Dickinson & Co, at Apsley Mills. He remained working there until enlistment.
Sadly his mother died in March 1915 and his father died the following month. William enlisted in September the same year.
(Brother of Mr. A. W. (Amos) Glenister, of 87, Bostall Hill, Plumstead, London)
Wartime Service
William enlisted at Hertford and joined the served with the Hertfordshire Regiment. He was sent to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion at Hertford for basic training and on completion was posted to the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment.
It is not known exactly when William was sent overseas but it is likely to have been in December 1916 when a new draft of men was received by the 1st Battalion while they were near Ypres.
The Battalion was in action from early in 1917 and William fought in the front line trenches and took part in raiding parties. In July he fought in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge (3rd Battle of Ypres) an attack which was very costly for the 1st Hertfordshire Regiment. On the opening day at St Julien, they incurred 459 casualties which represented almost half the Battalion's fighting strength. William survived and then fought in the Battles of Langemarck in August, and Menin Road and Polygon Wood in September.
In October he fought in the Second Battle of Passchendaele where Battalion casualties were relatively light. However, in early November the Germans unleashed frequent poison gas attacks which resulted in many casualties and on 14 November the Battalion were near Veldhoek, Belgium when William was killed in action, age 24.
He has no known grave but his name is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.
(N.B. CWGC gives his age as 21, but he was 24, having been born in 1893)
Additional Information
Brother to Jesse Thomas Glenister who died 21/6/1917, is buried at Wytschaete Military Cemetery, Belgium and is also named on the Boxmoor and Hemel Hempstead Memorials.
His brother Alfred received a war gratuity of £10 10s and his pay owing of £11 16s was shared between his siblings, Alfred, Amos, Joseph, Annie, Beatrice and Elizabeth.
His brother Amos served with the Middlesex Regiment but was discharged as medically unfit on 9 August 1916. His brother Joseph Glenister served with the Royal Garrison Artillery and survived the war.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage,org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com.
