Name
William Charles Carter
28/03/1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
06/12/1915
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Driver
40203
Royal Horse Artillery
"S" Bty.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BASRA WAR CEMETERY
VI. D. 12.
Iraq
Headstone Inscription
"THEY WILL BE DONE"
UK & Other Memorials
Cheshunt Town Memorial,
St Clemence Church Memorial, Turnford
Pre War
William Charles Carter was born in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, on 28th March 1883, son of Charles Carter a, Nursery Rose Grower and Harriet/Hannah Carter (nee Kiddle). One of Nine children although one died in infancy.
Baptised in the Parish Church, Cheshunt, Herts, on 29th April 1883, at the time the family were living in Cadmore Lane, Cheshunt.
William attended St Mary’s Infants school, from 31st May 1886 to March 1891, when he moved to Dewhurst Endowed Boys school, leaving in March 1896, aged 13 to start work.
William was not recorded as living with his parents on the night of the 1891 census, his location was not found.
1901 Census records William aged 18, employed as a Labourer at a Garden Nursery, living with his parents, two brothers and three sisters at, 159, High Street, Cheshunt, Herts.
About 1903 William travelled to London and enlister in the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) with the service number 40203.
1911 Census records William as single, aged 29, and serving in Ambala, India, with “S” Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, his rank is given as Driver.
He was awarded the Delhi Durbar 1911 Medal.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war William was still out in Bangalore, India, with “S” Battery, RHA, remaining there until February 1915, when it was mobilized and placed under the command of the 6th Indian Cavalry Brigade and proceeded to Mesopotamia. In October 1915, the Brigade was put under the control of the 6th (Poona) Division, seeing action at The Advance to Baghdad and The Battle of Ctesiphon (22nd – 25th November 1915) and the subsequent Retreat to Kut.
William died of Dysentery on 6th December 1915 at Kut-el-Amara, aged 32. He is buried in the Basra War Cemetery, Iraq.
Kut-el-Amara was besieged by the Turkish/Ottoman forces from 7th December 1915 to 29th April 1916, when the garrison surrendered, the survivors were marched to Aleppo and imprisoned there. (Some historian called the siege “the worst defeat of the Allies in World War 1”).
Additional Information
His mother Harriet received a dependents pension of 3/6 a week from 24th October 1917.
His effects of £23-3s-5d, Pay owing and a War Gratuity of £7-10s-00d, went to his sister Mrs. Ada Clayden.
His Headstone inscription “THEY WILL BE DONE” was requested by his sister Ada Clayden. Ada’s Husband Driver 234467 George Clayden of the Royal Field Artillery was killed in action on 23rd March 1918, he has no known grave.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
