Name
William George Dell
1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/09/1918
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Shoeing Smith Corporal
105538
Hertfordshire Yeomanry
1st/1st
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
KANTARA WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY
E. 23.
Egypt
Headstone Inscription
HE DIED FOR US
UK & Other Memorials
Hertfordshire Yeomanry Memorial, St Albans Cathedral, Berkhamsted Town Memorial, Sunnyside Memorial, Berkhamsted, Not on the Tring memorials
Pre War
William George Dell was born in Tring in 1893 to William and Annie Dell.
Not found on the 1901 Census or the 1911 Census.
He married Fanny Probets on 24 February 1916 in Tring and they had a daughter Frances Nora who was born in Berkhamsted on 26 Jul 1917.
Wartime Service
William enlisted in Hertford in the Hertfordshire Yeomanry (a Territorial Force Unit) on as Private (later Corporal Farrier or shoeing smith) in 2/1st until later in 1916 he transferred to 1/1st Herts Yeomanry in Egypt following the withdrawal from the Gallipoli Peninsula. They took part in the Battles in Palestine including the Battles of Gaza in 1917 and the capture of Jerusalem and in 1918 the Battles of Meggido, Sharon & Nablus.
He died on 22 September 1918 at the 24th Stationary Hospital, Egypt, from malaria contracted whilst on active service and is buried at Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, (Sinai Peninsula) Egypt.
Additional Information
His widow, Fanny, received a War Gratuity of £23 10s and pay owing of £10 1s 10d. Their daughter Frances Nora received pay owing of £20 3s 10d. Fanny also received a pension of £1 1s 8d a week for herself and her daughter.
His widow's address on pension records was given as 15 King Street, Tring and her surname was changed to Metcalfe as she had married Frederick Metcalfe in Berkhamsted in 1921.
His widow, Fanny, Mrs F Metcalfe, ordered his headstone inscription while living at 15 King Street, Tring, Herts., it reads: "HE DIED FOR US".
N.B. The St Peter's Church Memorial in Berkhamsted, gives this soldier's name as Bugler Dell and describes him as being in the Coldstream Guards but no evidence has been found for this in other military records.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Gareth Hughes, Jonty Wild
