Name
William Meares
1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/05/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
37712
Durham Light Infantry
18th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 8.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Hemel Hempstead memorials, Bradford Great War Roll of Honour, Durham Cathedral Book of Remembrance
Pre War
William Meares was born on 9 December 1886 at Cotterells, Hemel Hempstead, the son of Henry and Hannah Meares and one of six children, although two had died by 1911.
His father died in 1890 aged 48 in Luton, Beds and on the 1891 Census William and his siblings were living with his widowed mother at 26 Filbert Street, Bradford, where his mother was working as a laundress.
In 1901 the family had moved to 14 Filbert Street, Bradford. No occupation was given for his widowed mother, but William (Willie) and his sister Katie were both working as yarn spinners and two boarders were also living in the household.
William married Harriet Gretton on 5 December 1910 at Holy Trinity Church, Nottingham and on the 1911 Census they were living with his mother and sister Katie at 49 Stanacre Place, Otley Road, Bradford at which time, William was working for the Bradford City Corporation as a Wool Weigher in the Conditioning House. His sister was a 'twister' in worsted spinning and his wife was a burler and mender on worsted coatings.
William and Harriet had two children, Stanley born 17 July 1915 and Dorothy born 23 April 1917. Their address on his enlistment was given as 90 Maperton Road, Bradford.
His mother married Isaac Thorpe, a widower and a Wheelwright, at St Peter, Bradford, (Bradford Cathedral) on 9 November 1911. She was then living at 51 Northampton Street, Bradford.
Wartime Service
He enlisted at Bradford on 9 December 1915 and joined the 4th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. After training he was sent to France via Folkestone on 22 November 1916 and on 8 December was posted to the 18th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, joining them in the field on 10 December 1916.
On 10 March 1917 he was fined 14 days pay for reporting sick without a cause, but on 16 March he was suffering from diarrhoea and did not return to duty until 21 March.
He was killed in action on 10 May 1917 during the Battle of Arras. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His widow Harriet received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £2 12s 4d. She also received a pension of £1 2s 11d a week. On 14 August 1920 Harriet remarried to George Albert Pashley-Barty and lived at 24 Margerton Road, Bradford.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.durhamatwar.org.uk
