Name
William Hester
1888
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/09/1916
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Sapper
65789
Royal Engineers
156th Field Company
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 8 A and 8 D
France
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Church of St Nicholas Memorial, Norton
Pre War
William Hester was born in 1888 in Upper Holloway, Middlesex, London to George Hester, carman, and Elizabeth Loveless (nee Bartlett).
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, Elizabeth (born 1884) and William were living at 60, Langdon Road,Islington, London.
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, (George was now a horsekeeper), William (plumbers labourer) and Bertha (born 1894) were living at 60, Kingsdown Road, Islington.
William married Florence Skinner on 19 Nov 1904.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents William was a (journeyman plumber), William George (born 26 Jan 1906), Ernest Horace (born 7 mar 1907), Frances J (born 28 Jul 1908) and Florence E (born 5 Jan 1910) were living at 9, Campsbourne Gardens, Hornsey. Also recorded was Robert Edwin Ward, (grainer) a boarder).
There would be two further children: Lilian Bertha (born 14 Mar 1913 and Marjorie Mons (born 28 Nov 1914).
Wartime Service
William enlisted in the Royal Engineers in 1 Feb 1915, aged 31 and gave his address as 37 Leopold Road, Finchley, as Sapper (he was an experienced plumber) 65789 at Chatham. He was posted on 9 Feb 1915 to 107 Field Company originally raised for service in 35 Division. On 28 Sep 1915 he was posted to No 1 Depot Training Centre at Deganway, North Wales and on 29 Feb 1916 to No 2 Depot at the same location for service overseas at General Base Depot BEF with a transfer to 155 Field Company on 17 Mar 1916. This Field Company was part of 16th (Irish) Division.
William was admitted to 33 Casualty Clearing Station on 16 May 1916 (Septic Wound Right Hand) and transferred fom No 1 Australian Hospital to UK on 14 May 1916. Following his recovery at Richmond Military hospital on 5 Jul 1916 he was posted to Newark Training RE Centre and he again went France on 11 Aug 1916 joining 156 Field Company RE also in 16 (Irish) Division on 21 Aug 1916. The division were engaged in the Battles of the Somme at Guillemont on 3-6 Sep and Ginchy on 9 Sep. It was in this last action that William was reported wounded and missing on 9 Sep 1916. It was later reported (22 Apr 1918) t at William's grave had been found 15 miles NW of Combles France.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £7 and arrears of £7 2s 0d was paid to his widow Florence, who also received a pension of 33s 9d for herself and children : Lived at 241 Glebe Road
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Ellen Barnes, Jonty Wild
