Name
William Norman Thacker
26 August 1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/02/1918
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
H.M.M.L. 520.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
COBH OLD CHURCH CEMETERY
D. 13. 64.
Republic of Ireland
Headstone Inscription
None shown
UK & Other Memorials
Radlett Town Memorial, Christchurch Memorial, Radlett, Not on the Monken Hadley Memorial
Pre War
William Thacker was born on 26 August 1887 in Monken Hadley, Middlesex, the youngest of six children of Thomas and Rebecca Thacker he also had a half sibling from his father's first marriage.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Leahurst, Hadley Road, Monken Hadley, Herts where his father was a Publisher Manager. By 1901 the family had moved to Ercildun, Oakdale Road, Streatham.
William attended Dulwich College between 1899 - 1903. After leaving the College he trained on a farm in Surrey, learning about agriculture before moving to Canada in May 1905. He eventually went to British Columbia and trained as a surveyor, specialising in work in rural areas and was later appointed Deputy Game Warden for the District of Hope where he lived.
Wartime Service
In Canada in early 1916 he enlisted for military service, taking a commission in the Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles, but felt there was little immediate prospect of service in Europe, so he transferred to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve who urgently required men with yachting experience.
After a short training period in England he was assigned to the Motor Patrol Service based off the coast of Ireland and in the summer of 1917 was promoted to Lieutenant. However, he soon began to suffer from lung problems and he was invalided out of the service in November. He was suffering from tuberculosis and died of the illness on 17 February 1918 at the Naval Hospital at Haulbowline, Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland. He is buried at Cobh Old Church Cemetery, Ireland.
Additional Information
Probate was granted to his brother Arnold Garrad Thacker, Lieutenant, HM Army with effects of £2692 19s 8d. Officers Record held by the National Archives: ADM 337/122/120
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
dulwichcollege1914-18.co.uk/fallen, Jonty Wild
