Name
William James Day
14 September 1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
24/06/1915
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
CH/510(S)
Royal Navy Royal Marine Light Infantry
Deal Bn. (12th)
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HELLES MEMORIAL
Panel 2 to 7.
Turkey (including Gallipoli)
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Abbots Langley Village Memorial, St. Lawrence Church Memorial, Abbots Langley, Not on the Kimpton memorials
Pre War
William James Day was born on 14 September 1895 in Kimpton, nr Hitchin, Herts, the son of Frederick and Amy Day.
On the 1901 Census the family were living in Leavesden, nr Watford, Herts where his father was working as a Cowman on a farm.
By 1911 he was listed as a sea apprentice on the Training Ship Warspite, which was on the River Thames, off Stone, Near Greenhithe, Dartford, Kent.
His parents later lived at 40 Marlin Square, Abbots Langley, Herts.
Wartime Service
William enlisted on 11 November 1914 and served in the Chatham/Deal Battalion of the Royal Marine Light Infantry.
He was initially reported as missing, later confirmed as having been killed in action in the Dardenelles on 24 June 1915. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey.
Biography
William Day was reported missing in the Herts Advertiser in June 1915, before being recorded as being killed in action in the Dardenelles a year later in June 1916.
He was born on 14th September 1895 at Kimpton, the son of Frederick and Amy Day. The family later moved to Woodside Leavesden, where his father worked as a Cowman on a farm and by 1911 they were living at 40 Marlin Square in Abbots Langley. William had two younger sisters.
He enlisted on 11th November 1914, but in the 1911 Census was recorded as a Sea Apprentice (Royal Navy) and was serving on the Training Ship HMS “Warspite” at Greenhithe. At the outbreak of War in August 1914 William joined the newly formed Deal Battalion of the Royal Marine Light Infantry (RMLI). On 11th March 1915 the Deal Battalion sailed for the island of Lemnos in the Aegean Sea on the HMS “Alnwick Castle”, and then was transported to Alexandria, Egypt on 24th March arriving at Port Said on 26th March. The Battalion returned to Lemnos, leaving Alexandria on 7th April, and arriving on 11th April to prepare for the landings planned for the Gallipoli peninsular later in the month.
The Deal Battalion took part in a landing at Bulair on 25th April as a diversion to the main landings at Cape Helles, and four days later was transported to Anzac Beach. The Battalion moved off the beach to the forward defences through Shrapnel Gully, and for the next 13 days was embroiled in continuous fighting as the Turkish forces counter-attacked.
During this period the Commanding Officer of the Deal Battalion – Lieutenant Colonel Richard Nelson Bendyshe – was shot by one of his own men whilst visiting the front line trenches on 1st May 1915 at Gabe Tepe. Bendyshe was the grand-nephew of Lord Nelson.
William Day was killed on 24th June 1915 during a relatively quiet period. The RMLI records revealed that two men died on that day – William Day and Charles Varndell – and it was most likely that they were killed by a shell or sniper. No major actions were underway on that day.
The Abbots Langley Parish Magazine recorded that William was “reported missing in the Dardenelles” in August 1915, and a year later in August 1916 the Magazine confirmed that it was reported that he had been killed in action. He was listed on the Cape Helles Memorial and the Abbots Langley War Memorial.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
