Name
William Richard Merchant
1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/04/1918
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
128180
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
34th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL
Panel 11.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Hemel Hempstead memorials
Pre War
William Richard Merchant was born in 1884 in Hemel Hempstead, Herts, the son of James and Sarah Ann Merchant, and baptised there on 11 May 1884. He was one of four children, although one died in infancy.
On the 1891 Census the family were living in Jarvis Road, Bishops Stortford, Herts where his father was a Police Sergeant. By 1901 they had moved to 69 Whitley Street, Manchester and his father was then a Railway Policeman. His father remained a Railway Policemen in 1911 by which time the family had moved to 160 Warde Street, Hulme, Manchester. William, then 27 years old was working as a carter.
William married May Fovargue on 12 July 1915 at St Paul's Church, Shelford Road, Manchester and gave his occupation as Train Driver. May was the daughter of shopkeeper Thomas Fovargue. They had a daughter, also called May, on 17 September 1916 and they lived at 8 Stanley Grove, Crescent Road, Chorlton Cum Hardy.
Wartime Service
William enlisted in Manchester and initially joined the North Lancashire Regiment (Reg. No. 205053), later transferring to the 34th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (infantry).
He was killed in action on 11 April 1918 during the Battles of the Lys which was part of the German offensive in the spring of 1918. He has no known grave but his name is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium. He is one of 24 soldiers from the Machine Gun Corps named on the memorial who died on 11 April.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £3 9s 11d. She also received a pension of £1 3s 9d a week for herself and her child.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
