Name
William McIlwrick
1882
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
18/07/1918
35
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
206682
Royal Engineers
Special Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
NEUF-BRISACH COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
VI. 10.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Tring memorials, St Lawrence church, Cholesbury, Bucks.
Pre War
William McIlwrick was born in 1882 in Theydon Mount, Essex . His birth was registered at Ongar, Essex as McIlorrick but his mother’s name has yet to be found.
On the 1891Census William was living with his grandparents William (a shepherd) and Mary (a dairymaid) McIlwrick, and their family of Edward, (dairyman, born 1853), Maggie ((housekeeper, born 1855), and Henry (a cowman, born 1864) at Ongar Park Hall Cottages, Stanford Rivers.
On the 1901 Census William was an agricultural labourer, living with his grandparents William McIlwrick, and their family of Mary (dairymaid , born 1857), Edward ( dairyman ), Maggie (housekeeeper), and Henry (dairyman) at Ongar Park Hall Cottages, Stanford Rivers.
He married Louisa Mary Pittock in Aylesbury in Aug /Sept 1913 and lived in Cholesbury, Bucks. They had a daughter Constance Mary born 17 Dec 1915. His widow later lived at 16, Afghan Rd., Reading St., Broadstairs, Kent.
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for William. He enlisted in the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry as Private 24586 but transferred to the Royal Engineers as Pioneer 206682. He was posted to J Special Company which was formed in Feb 1917 to operate Livens projectors. This was a simple version of a Trench Mortar, dug in at 45 degrees with a strong base plate and could be fired electrically. It was used primarily to delivery Gas in dense pockets on the German Front lines to assist Infantry in attacking their objectives.
Note on his Pension Record card states prisoner of war and died of Oedema and Dysentry. His death was recorded as 18 Jul 1918.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £9 and arrears of £20 17s 8d (filed under the name of Mchwrick) was paid to his widow, who also received a pension of 20s 5d for herself and child.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
