Name
William Ewart Dewdney
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
03/09/1916
29
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Rifleman
R/8692
King’s Royal Rifle Corps
11th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 13 A and 13 B
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Rickmansworth memorials, Not on the Chorleywood memorials
Pre War
William was born in Chorleywood (Rickmansworth in Census) on the 5th of December 1887 and baptised there on the 15th of January 1888. His parents were Charles, a Carpenter, and Annie Alice(nee Hookham) and in 1891 the family was living in Rothschild Road, Acton. 1901 found them at Hatfield House Flat 1, Darwen Road, Ealing.
In 1909 William married Caroline Hall in Brentford and they had three children – Edna Edith 1910, Cecil Thomas 1912, William Ewart 1915. Caroline remarried in 1920 to Thomas G Griffith having three more children – Rose M E 1921, Frederick J 1924, Dennis G 1927.
On the 1939 Register Caroline and Thomas, together with son Cecil, a Plumber’s Mate, were living 3 Hawthorn Gardens, Ealing. William's mother, Annie Alice, is thought to be the sister of George Hookham whose son George Horace was killed on the 2nd of April 1915.
He is recorded as enlisting in Brentford.
Wartime Service
The 11th Battalion comprised part of 59th Brigade 20th (Light) Division which landed Boulogne on the 22nd of July 1915.
William was killed on the first day of the Battle of Guillemont which took place from the 3rd to the 6th of September 1916. The date is misleading as Guillemont had been on the right flank of the British line since the middle of July and had been attacked without success during August. The official name also covers the fighting further north in Delville Wood and around Ginchy.
An extract from the Battalion's War Diary for the 3rd of September reads “The 59th Brigade attacked and took Guillemont in conjunction with 47th Brigade on the left and 95th Brigade on the right. Zero hour was at 12 noon at which time the advance began. The attack was completely successful and the Brigade consolidated on a line on the GINCHY -WEDGE Road”.
Battalion casualties were Killed 22, Missing 2, Wounded 75.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Mike Collins
