Name
William Perry
1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/08/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
51069
Royal Army Medical Corps
36th Field Amb.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DUISANS BRITISH CEMETERY, ETRUN
VI. B. 33.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
All Saints' Church Memorial(s), Hockerill. Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial, United Reformed Church, Bishop's Stortford
Pre War
William Perry was born in 1895 in Bishop's Stortford to Henry Perry, a carman, and Harriet (nee Nelson).
On the 1901 Census his father was the keeper of a Common Lodging House in South Street, Bishop's Stortford which housed 16 boarders as well as the family of parents, Harriet (born 1883), and Emma (born 1885), (both apprentice dressmakers), Henry(born 1887), Beatrice (born 1888), Arthur (born 1890) and William.
On the 1911 Census, William, a cabinet maker, was living with his family of parents, Emma and Beatrice (milliners) and Arthur (grocery assistant) at Riverside, Causeway, Bishop's Stortford (his father was a lodging house keeper).
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for William. William enlisted at Hounslow, Middlesex probably as Private 1462 in the London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) around Aug 1914 and later transferred as Private 51089, Royal Army Medical Corps. He went to France on 20 May 1915 to become part of 36 Field Ambulance RAMC which was attached to 12(Eastern) Division also moving to France at that time. They were to take part in Loos (1915), Somme 1916 and Arras (1917).
Although the Division was holding a quiet sector near Monchy le Preux, east of Arras, during May-Oct 1917 there would be trench raids, small scale attacks and counter-attacks as well as shelling taking place. William was wounded in action and moved to the 19th Casualty Clearing Station at Agnez les Duisans. The sister in charge wrote to his parents explaining that he had shrapnel in both thighs and his left arm had been amputated. He later died of his wounds on 10 Aug 1917. He had served in Flanders for a total of two years and three months.
Additional Information
His mother Harriet received a War Gratuity of £14 and arrears of £5 19s 7d. She also received a pension of 6 shillings a week from 19 Feb 1918.
Brother to Arthur Perry, Wiltshire Regiment, who died on 6 Nov 1918 who is also named on the Town memorial and United Reformed Church memorial, & Hockerill memorials, Bishop's Stortford. N.B. Medal Index Cards shows date of death as 18.10.17. All other records seem to agree on 10 Aug 1917. Difference of service no. on some records: 51089/51069.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Jenny Clough
