Name
William Munro
1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/04/1917
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
19894
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 5
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Knebworth Village Memorial, Knebworth (old), Codicote Village Memorial, Peace Memorial Hall, Codicote
Pre War
William Munro was born in 1891 in Knebworth, the son and eldest child of William Henry & Emma Munro. They also had another son Robert who was born three years later.
The family were living at Rye End, (between Kimpton and Codicote) on the 1891 Census where his father was working as a Gamekeeper. They remained there in 1901 but had moved to New Town, Codicote, by 1911, at which time William was working as a milk man on a farm. He was employed by Mrs S Bell on enlistment (which was confirmed in the Hertfordshire Express article of 12th of May).
Wartime Service
William enlisted in Codicote, Herts and initially joined the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. (Medal Index Cards) After training he arrived in France on 4th October 1915. Later the same year he was wounded in the leg.
At some point he was transferred to the 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment and was killed in action on 15 April 1917. He was reported missing during the reconnaissance of Gavrelle. An article in the Hertfordshire Express of 12 May 1917 reported him as "Killed in Action, having died instantly and suffering no pain".
He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France.
Additional Information
At the time of William's death his father had passed away six months earlier and is reported as having been employed as head gamekeeper by Lord Dacre (owner of The Hoo, Kimpton) for many years. Probate was granted in London on 8 August 1917 to Charles Munro (his uncle), with effects of £704. He also received a war gratuity of £12 and pay owing of £8 5s. A pension card exists which gives William's mother as dependant but does not give any indication ot the amount of pension paid. She later lived with her son Robert and his wife in Willesden, Middx.
Acknowledgments
Derry Warners, Brenda Palmer
Paul Johnson, Brenda Palmer, June Colegrove
