Name
William Charles Sapsed
Circa 1888
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/11/1916
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
5368
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
'4' Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 12 C.
France
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, Stevenage Old Town Memorial, St Nicholas' Church Memorial, Stevenage Old Town, Holy Trinity Church Memorial Roll of Honour, Stevenage Old Town, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
William was born around 1888 in Stevenage and baptised on 27 May 1888 in Gravely, nr Stevenage. His parents were William Edward and Alice Maud Sapsed.
In 1891 the family were living at Lymington Road, Stevenage. Present were both parents: William (24) and Alice (26), with William working as an agricultural hay binder. Their children were: Fanny L (4), William (3) and Ada (1).
By 1901 the family were living at Walkern Road, Stevenage. Present were both parents, with William still a hay binder. The children listed above were all present and they had been joined by
Frank (11), Alice E (7), Frederick C (6), Arthur (4) and Emily R (1).
By 1911 William was living alone at New Cottages, Broadwater Nr Stevenage, Herts. and working as a farm labourer, but married Mary Ann Wright (née, b18/1/1890) later in 1911.
He was formerly the scoutmaster of the Stevenage Scouts.
He enlisted in July 1915, when living 4 Trinity Rd, Stevenage Herts. his service record show that he had served for 2 years in the 1st Herts Volunteer Battalions and 4 years in the 1st Herts Battalion until the termination of his engagement. He was described as 28 years 2 months old, 5’ 3 ¼”tall.
Officially William was recorded as living in Stevenage, Herts. when he enlisted in Hertford.
Wartime Service
He left Southampton on 13 May 1916 and landed in Rouen the following day and the Entrenching Battalion on the 30th. On the 11 June 1916 he was attached to the 8th Gloucestershire Regiment.
He was listed as missing on the 23rd, but on the 23rd was admitted to 1 Field Ambulance with a gunshot wound (possibly a finger on his right hand). On the 29th his was admitted to the 1/1 SMD? Casualty Clearing Station, where his wound was given as gunshot would to his right hand and ending up in a hospital in Etaples. He was released to re-join his Battalion on 31 August 1916.
It is not clear if he returned to the Gloucesters or to the Hertfordshires. If the latter then they were part of the 118th Brigade of the 39th Division in II Corps of the 5th Army at the time of his death. This was the Battle of the Ancre, an attempt by General Sir Hubert Gough to reduce the Beaumont Hamel Salient that had hitherto resisted all assaults. The Herts were on the right of the Brigade and assembled at the Schwaben Redoubt just north of Thiepval. Their first objectives were some enemy strongpoints about 200 yards in front of the Redoubt, the so-called Hansa Line of trenches and the final objective the junction of Mill Trench and the Hansa Line, a total advance of about 1,200 yards. Zero hour was 5.45am in thick mist. heavy going with the ground honeycombed with shell holes.
He was in 4 Company which led the advance on the right of the Battalion and by 7.30am most of their objectives had been achieved. The rest of the day was spent consolidating the position, constructing a redoubt at the junction of Mill Trench and the Hansa Line and beating off counter attacks. A splendid achievement but at a cost of over 150 men killed and wounded.
He has no known grave and is remembered on Pier/Face 12C of the great Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme, France.
Additional Information
After his death £5 7s 5d pay owing was authorised to go to his widow on 24 February 1917. Later, a war gratuity of £5 10s was authorised to be paid to her/him on 6 October 1919.
His pension cards record Mary Ann Sapsed as his widow and next of kin, living at The Corner Cottage, Lyminster, W Arundel. She was awarded a grant and then a pension of 13s 9d a week from 28 May 1917.
His brother Frank also served and around the time of William's death he had been wounded. Another brother was serving in East Africa.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild, Paul Johnson
