Name
William Gregory
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/11/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
203126
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st/5th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CAIRO WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY
Q. 84.
Egypt
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Markyate Village Memorial,
St John The Baptist Church Memorial, Markyate
Pre War
William Henry Gregory was born in Markyate in 1897 (baptised 9 Oct 1898 in Markyate) to William Gregory, bricklayer’s labourer, and Elizabeth (nee Flitton).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, William Henry and Raymond (born 1900) were living at Salisbury Street, Luton.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents, William Henry, Raymond Stanley Charles (born 1902), Arthur (born 1915), Ivy (born 1911)and were living at 71 London Road, Markyate.
Wartime Service
William enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment as a Territorial Soldier in the 1st/5th Battalion. No Service record was found for William. His War Gratuity suggests that he enlisted in 1914 when 1/5th were part of Midland Brigade, East Anglian Division and were engaged in Coastal Defence duties. In May 1915 the Battalion was transferred into 162 Brigade, 54th (East Anglian) Division and warned for overseas service after re-equipment. The division reached Mudros on 10 Aug 1915 and were landed at Suvla Bay on the Gallipoli Peninsula the following day (11 Aug). Following evacuation to Egypt in Dec 1915 the Battalion were engaged in Defence on the Southern Sector of the Suez Canal until they were transferred to Palestine taking part in the battles of Gaza (26-27 Mar 1917), 17-19 Apr, 27 Oct- 1 Nov, followed by the Battle of Jaffa (21-22 Dec 1917). His original Territorial Service number became 203126 in the renumbering of the Territorial personnel. In 1918 as part of 162 Brigade 1/5 Beds took part in the Fight at Rasel Ain on 12 Mar 1918 and with the Division the Operations at Berukin (9 -10 Apr, ) and the Battle of Sharon (19-23 Apr 1918, part of the battle of Megiddo) the armistice with the Turks was signed on 31 Oct 1918 as the Division were taking up positions outside Betrut.
William was taken ill and evacuated to the General Hospital, Cairo where he died on 9 Nov 1918.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £19 10s and arrears of £20 6s 9d was paid to his mother.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Anne & Gordon Mead
