Name
William Prior
1873
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
06/08/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
4/7063
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 2 C.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial Not on the Albury memorials
Pre War
William Prior was born in 1873 in Albury, Herts to Alexander and Hannah Prior. His mother died in 1885 and his father married again to Mary Ann Prior in 1887. On the 1891 Census the family were living in Rye Street, Bishop's Stortford and they were still there in 1901. In 1911 his father had died and he was living with his stepmother (Mary Ann Prior) and sibling Clara at Providence Cottage, Rye Street, Bishop's Stortford and working as a Cellar Labourer.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Hertford and served in the 6th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment. He arrived in France in on 11 October 1915. The 6th Bedfordshires were at Bazentin-le-Petit on 6 August 1916, an area which had recently been captured from the Germans and was subject to several counter attacks. He was killed in action and his body was not recovered for burial.
Additional Information
A £9 war gratuity was divided between his sister in law Rose Ellen £6 and Joseph Dixon £3. His pay owing was divided between his brothers Harry £7 7s 11d and Ernest £3 4s 0d. N.B. Some records have mis-transcribed the surname Prior as Prion. Brother to Harry George Prior who died on 23 October 1917 and is named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. Both brothers are named on the Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
