Name
William Charles Barrett
1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/10/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
45185
Suffolk Regiment
11th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CEMENT HOUSE CEMETERY
I. G. 8
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
HE SACRIFICED ALL FOR US L.T.
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Saviour's Church War Memorial, Radcliffe Rd., Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, Not on the Baldock memorials, Not on the Bishop's Stortford memorials
Pre War
William Charles Barrett was born in Kingston on Thames, Surrey, in 1897, the son of James and Annie Barrett, and living in Norton Street, Baldock in 1901, where his father was working as a yard merchant.
(N.B. The CWGC states he was a native of Baldock and SDIGW states he was born in Bishop's Stortford but is listed on the 1901 and 1911 Censuses as born in Kingston on Thames). His mother died in 1904 in Baldock and on the 1911 Census he was living with his widowed father in Wood End, Ardeley, near Walkern, Herts and was working as a farm labourer.
He married Lily Sutton in Hitchin in early 1917 and they lived at 1 Kings Road, Hitchin, Herts.
Wartime Service
William enlisted in Hitchin and joined the 11th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment with the regimental number 45185.
He was presumed dead and killed in action in Belgium 9 October 1917, aged 21. His death was probably in the vicinity of the southern end of the Houthulst Forest north west of Poelcapelle in the Ypres Salient. At the time the 11th Battalion of the Suffolks was in the 101st Brigade of the 34th Division of XIV Corps of the 5th Army and was in the line but not taking part in any specific battle. However, three men from the Suffolks killed on the same day are buried side by side which suggests that they were casualties of shelling.
He was buried in Plot I, Row G, Grave 8 at Cement House Cemetery in Belgium, about 600m west of Langemarck. The bunker, after which the cemetery is named, can still be seen. A private inscription on his gravestone reads "He sacrificed all for us. L.T." (his former wife).
Additional Information
His widow Lily received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £1 19s. She also received a pension of 13s 9d a week.
She later married Frank Thorogood in Hitchin in 1919 and lived at 11 Waltham Road, Hitchin.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson
