Name
William Frederick Blackledge
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/04/1918
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Serjeant
27976
Wiltshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
STRAND MILITARY CEMETERY
Plot X, Row Q, Grave 2.
Belgium
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Christ Church Memorial, Watford, Watford Congregational Church Memorial
Pre War
Son of William and Elizabeth (nee ATTERBURY) BLACKLEDGE; husband of Elsie Louisa (nee CHIPPS) BLACKLEDGE of Watford.
His parents married 1893 in the Wigan, Lancs, district. Elizabeth died 1918 in Watford aged 49, and was buried 29 July in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford. William remarried 1920 in the Watford district to Alice Mary ATTERBURY, and died 5 July 1949 in Watford aged 82; Alice died 15 February 1960 in Hastings, Sussex, aged 78.
William was born 1893 in Wigan, and married 4 September 1915 at Watford Congregational Church; they had one child. He resided in Watford, and worked as a clerk for the London and North Western Railway Company. Elsie never remarried, she died 21 July 1975 in Abbot’s Langley, Herts, aged 81, and was buried 25 July in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
On the 1901 Census, aged 7 he lived in Aston, Birmingham, with his parents and one sibling. On the 1911 Census, an L.N.W.R. clerk aged 18, he lived in Watford, with his parents and three siblings.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in St Pancras, London, and was formerly Sergeant 12254 Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.
He was entitled to the Victory and British War medals, and was killed in action.
Additional Information
Unfortunately, William’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
There is a Death announcement for William in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 11 May 1918; plus an In Memoriam in the issue dated 12 April 1919.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
