Name
William Hutton
1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
25/11/1918
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
27019
Somerset Light Infantry
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
APSLEY END (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD
Between the Church and Road.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
SINCERE AND TRUE IN HEART AND MIND A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY LEFT BEHIND
UK & Other Memorials
St Mary's Church Memorial, Apsley End,
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley,
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial
Pre War
William Hutton was born in 1887 in Hemel Hempstead, the son of George and Elizabeth Hutton. and was baptised on 22 June 1888 at St Paul's Church, Hemel Hempstead with his sisters Rose and Beatrice. He was one of six children, but his two sisters Rose and Beatrice died in 1893 aged nine and eight.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at 55 Queen Street, Hemel Hempstead and his father was working as a Paper Mill Hand.
William attended Queen Street School and the school log in 1895 noted that he was a "Delicate" child and was exempt from the Standard 1 test that year. He left school in 1900 to work as a Paper Stamper for John Dickinson & Co Ltd at Apsley Mills, where his father had worked for some years.
His father died in 1899 and on the 1901 Census he was living with his widowed mother and siblings Arthur and Herbert at 52 Queen Street and he was working as a Mill Hand in the Paper Mill.
He married Amy Stone in 1912 in St Mary's Church, Apsley End, Hemel Hempstead and they had two children, Frederick and Doris and lived at 41 Apsley End. He was working for John Dickinson & Co Ltd at Apsley Mills on enlistment.
His widow gave her address as 11 Bertal Road, Tooting, London, SW17 on pension records.
Wartime Service
William volunteered in Hemel Hempstead in October 1915 under the Derby Scheme whereby he could defer military service, and was posted to the Army Reserve and returned to his job at Dickinsons. He was called up in May 1916, enlisted with the Hertfordshire Regiment and was sent for basic training.
He was sent to France in early 1917 and posted to the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment, fighting in The Battles of Ypres.
He suffered a gun shot wound to the head at some point in 1918 from which he appeared to recover, and was then transferred to the 7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry.
At the time of the Armistice on 11 November 1918, William was in England and living in Tooting, London with his family. It is possible he was on home leave, or was still recovering from his wounds but later in the month he contracted meningitis and died on 25 November 1918 in Bermondsey Military Hospital. Although he died from meningitis, it was deemed to have been as a result of the gun shot wound to the head and he was deemed to have 'Died of Wounds'.
He is buried in St Mary's Churchyard, Apsley End, Herts.
Additional Information
His widow, Mrs A Hutton, 41 Apsley End, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, ordered his headstone inscription: "SINCERE AND TRUE IN HEART AND MIND A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY LEFT BEHIND". She received a war gratuity of £14 10s and pay owing of £21 4s 11d. She also received a pension of £1 5s 5d for herself and her children.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelatwar.org., www.dacorumheritage.org.uk., www.hemelheroes.com.
