Name
William Hall
1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/06/1917
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/24483
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 2.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor, John Dickinson & Co. Ltd Memorial, Nash Mills, Not on the Apsley End memorials
Pre War
William Hall was born on 26 July 1889 in Hemel Hempstead, Herts, the eldest child of William and Martha Hall, and one of seven children although three died in childhood. He was baptised on 2 March 1890 at St Paul's Church, Hemel Hempstead.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at 21 Redbourn Road, Hemel Hempstead, where his father was working as a Butcher. William started his education in 1895 at Bury Mill End school and completed his first 'standard' before changing to Boxmoor school in 1898. He successfully completed the remaining six standards before he left school on 5 July 1902 to start work for his father as a Butcher's Boy.
They had moved to 40 Cotterells Road, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead by 1901, when his father was a Journeyman Butcher and William was joined by a 10 month old brother Arthur. They remained in Cotterells Road on the 1911 Census, but had moved to No. 47 when William was working as a General Labourer.
It is known that at some point before enlistment he worked for John Dickinson & Co Ltd at Nash Mills where he met his future wife Daisy Jordan who also worked there, along with a brother and three sisters. They married in late 1913 in Hemel Hempstead and lived at 13 Puller Road, Boxmoor, Herts. Their first and only child, William was born on 16 January 1915 but died only three days later.
Wartime Service
William enlisted at Watford in April 1916 and joined the East Surrey Regiment under reg. no. 20710, and after basic training, was sent to France, being transferred to the 1st Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment.
In June 1917 William was near Messines in frontline trenches. Towards the end of the month he took part in an attack on enemy trenches and was killed in action on 29 June 1917, aged 27. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £4 10s and pay owing of £2 2s 4d. She was also awarded a pension of 13 s 9d a week from 14.1.18.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelheroes.com. www.hemelatwar.org., www.dacorumheritage.org.uk.
