Name
William Wilsher
4 October 1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/09/1917
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
18230
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 48 to 50 and 162A
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Tewin Village Memorial, St Peter’s Church Muster Roll, Tewin
Pre War
William Alfred Wilsher was born on 4 Oct 1899 in Tewin, Herts, the son of John and Emily Wilsher, and baptised on 10 November 1899 at Tewin. He was one of nine children.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Upper Green, Tewin where his father was working as a ploughman on a farm. They remained living at Tewin on the 1911 Census and William was working as farm labourer with his father being a horsekeeper on the farm.
His father died in 1916 and his mother later lived at 88 Hartley Road, Luton, Beds and 3 Tasso Road, Hammersmith, W6.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in St Albans and served with the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.
He was killed in action on 20 September 1917 when the Battalion made a raid on German positions for the purpose of collecting information, capturing prisoners, machine guns and damaging dug-outs. They were met with heavy machine gun and rifle fire, during which seven were declared missing with many others killed or wounded.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £13 and pay owing of £5 14s 8d. She also received a pension of 10 shillings a week in respect of William and his brother Charles who is also named on the Tewin memorial.
Charles died on 2 May 1916 from wounds received in action near Bray and is buried in Carnoy Military Cemetery, France.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Brenda Palmer, Paul Johnson, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk
