Name
William Box
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/09/1916
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Rifleman
3796
London Regiment *1
9th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LA NEUVILLE BRITISH CEMETERY, CORBIE
Plot II, Row D, Grave 16.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
St Matthew’s Church Memorial, Oxhey,
Wesleyan Methodist (now Bushey & Oxhey) Church Memorial, Oxhey
Pre War
William Box was the youngest son of Thomas and Eva (nee Windsor) Box from Oxhey, who had eight children. Eva grew up in Villiers Road, Oxhey, where her father, Frederick Windsor, was a shoemaker. She became a domestic servant and in the 1880s. They married 1 July 1884 at St James’, Bushey, Herts. Thomas died 22 July 1942 in Oxhey aged 80, and was buried 27 July at St James’, Bushey; Eva died 27 December 1945 in Oxhey aged 87, and was buried 1 January 1946, also at St James.
Thomas was a plasterer and they made their first home in Merry Hill Lane (later called School Lane). William was born either 1894 or 1895.
On the 1901 Census, aged 5 he lived in Bushey, with his parents and seven siblings. On the 1911 Census, a yard boy aged 16, he lived in Oxhey, with his mother and six siblings. All their children were born in Bushey and when they left school they became tradesmen or domestic servants.
By 1911, the family had moved to 20, Upper Paddock Road, Oxhey. William Box was then 16 and working as a yard boy for a coal merchant. He later resided in Watford.
Wartime Service
When war broke out William enlisted as Rifleman 3796 with the London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles). His overseas service commenced 27 March 1915. He died of wounds received fighting in France on 11 September 1916 and was buried at La Neuville British Cemetery, Corbie near the Somme.
His pension record shows his mother as the dependant, who was still living at 20 Upper Paddock Road. A pension of 3/- per week was paid with effect from 14 August 1917.
He enlisted in London; was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914-15 Star medals and he is commemorated on the St Matthew’s Church memorial, on the plaque inside Bushey and Oxhey Wesleyan (now Methodist) Church and on his parents’ grave in Bushey churchyard.
Additional Information
There is a Death announcement for William in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 30 September 1916; plus In Memoriams in the issues dated 15 September 1917 and 20 September 1919.
Unfortunately, William’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
*1 9th (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles)
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
