Name
William Clement Dell
7 Sep 1879
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/09/1917
38
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Rifleman/Private
A/200570
King's Royal Rifle Corps
12th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 115 to 119, 162A and 163A.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Tring Town Memorial, St Peter & St Paul Church Roll of Honour, Tring, Not on the Aldbury memorials
Pre War
Clement William Dell was born in Aldbury on 7 Sep 1879 (baptised 6 Jul 1884 at Saints Peter and Paul, Tring) to Joseph Dell and Fanny (nee Gower). His parents were married 27 Feb 1864 at St John the Baptist, Aldbury, Herts. Joseph died in 1916 in the Berkhamsted, Herts, district aged 75, and was buried 18 Mar 1916 at Tring Cemetery, Herts; Fanny died in 1933 in the Berkhamsted district aged 95.
On the 1881 Census, William lived in Aldbury, with his parents and Kate, (born 1867), Henrietta (born 1869), Mary (born 1878) at Railway Cottages.
On the 1891 Census, a scholar aged 11, William lived in Tring, with his parents and sister Mary at 48, King Street.
On the 1901 Census, a yard man on a farm aged 21, he was a boarder at 29, Wingrave Road, Tring, with the Harrop family, with his wife Lizzie.
On the 1911 Census, still a yard man on a farm aged 31, William was living at Longfield Road, with his wife and Sidney (born 26 Sep 1901), Beatrice Maud (born 23 May 1903), Winifred Alice (born 6 Feb 1906) and Dorothy May (born 15 Oct 1908).
Wartime Service
Unfortunately, William’s Service record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing. It is known that William enlisted in Watford (probably in 1916), and was formerly Private 6256 in the Cambridgeshire Regiment, a Territorial only Regiment which for sometime was used as a Training Unit.
Following his training was transferred to King’s Royal Rifle Corps as a Rifleman in 12 (Service) Battalion. He was renumbered as A/200570 in 1917 stll a Territorial Soldier. In 1917 as part of 60 Brigade, 20th ( Light) Division William was involved in the Battle of Menin Road Ridge (2-25 Sep 1917,an action of 3rd Ypres, or Passchendaele), and was killed in action on 23 Sep. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Ypres.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £5 and arrears of £2 18s 2d was paid to his widow Lizzie who also received a pension of 26s 3d. There is a brief article about and a Death announcement for William in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 27 October 1917.
There is another article in the issue dated 10 November 1917, and an In Memoriam in the issue dated 28 September 1918.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
