Name
William Hearn
1888
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/04/1918
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
76987
Durham Light Infantry
1st/7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL
Panel 8 and 9.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, Not on the Apsley End memorial, We are not aware of any memorial in Two Waters
Pre War
William Hearn was born in Two Waters, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, Herts in 1888, the son of Joseph and Ethelinda Hearn, and one of eight children.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at 10 Weymouth Street, Hemel Hempstead, where his father was working as a General Labourer. They remained there in 1901, his father then working at the paper mill (John Dickinson & Co). Having left school, William started work there too as a Stamper, along with three of his siblings.
They remained in Weymouth Street in 1911 but had moved to No. 19, with all the family except his mother and 7 year old brother Harold, being employed at the paper mill.
He married Annie Saunders on 25 August 1915 at All Saints Church, Kings Langley. They had met at Dickinsons, where she worked in the card packing department, and she lived with her grandparents at Langley Hill, Kings Langley.
On enlistment he gave his address as 11 Frogmore Crescent, Apsley and his occupation as Sawyer. He was recorded as born in Apsley and he enlisted in Hemel Hempstead.
Wartime Service
On 11 December 1915, he enlisted under the Group (Derby) Scheme and joined the Royal Engineers and was transferred to the Army Reserve. As a Sawyer and skilled tradesman his occupation was "starred" which meant he was not initially called up to serve.
He was finally called up on 25 August 1916 as Sapper in the Royal Engineers (Reg.No.185668) and posted to Chatham, Kent. He served on the home front until September 1917 when he was transferred to the Durham Light Infantry and sent to France on 21 September 1917, joining the 7th Battalion (Pioneers). They were engaged in trench works, road improvements and wire laying near the Hindenburg Line, being often in close range of enemy shellfire and air attacks.
He was killed on 13 April 1918 when the Battalion was in occupation of a Chateau near La Motte and were heavily shelled, resulting in several men being killed and wounded. He was initially listed as missing, but this was not officially confirmed until October 1919.
He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium. He is one of 43 men from the Durham Light Infantry who died the same day and who are named the memorial.
Additional Information
His widow Annie received a war gratuity of £9 and pay owing of £13 15s 11d. Research suggests William has the unique honour of being recorded on the Hemel Hempstead War Memorial three times, albeit mistakenly. As well as his own name, two others William Kearn and W Fearn are listed, the former was recorded living at the same address as William in Weymouth Street when the initial Roll of Honour was published in the Gazette in 1919. There is no record of this individual in Hemel Hempstead at the time and no military records exist, so it appears to be an incorrect inscription. The same applies to the latter name, W Fearn for which no records have been found. His service documents contain a letter from John Dickinson & Co, dated 17 March 1919, written on behalf of his widow, asking for official confirmation that William had died as she had only received a notification that he was missing. Without such confirmation she had been unable to claim any insurance monies owed. His death was not confirmed until 13 April 1919.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild. www.hemelheroes.com, www.hemelatwar.org., www.dacorumheritage.org.uk,
