Name
William Herbert Rainbow
1888
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
25/09/1917
29
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
40903
Bedfordshire Regiment
Posted to 1st/1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 48 to 50 and 162A.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Church of St Nicholas Memorial, Norton, Letchworth Town Memorial, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
William Herbert Rainbow was born in1888 in Arlesley, Beds to William Rainbow, an asylum attendant, and Lucy (nee Clarke).
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, Esther (born 1878), Alice (born 1882), Harry (born 1884), Arthur (born 1886), William H and John (born 1890) were living at High Street, Arlesey, Beds.
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, William H, John, Charles (born 1893) together with Harriet (mother in law, born 1823) were living at High Street Arlesey.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents, Arthur (Able Seaman RN), William H, John and Charles (all hairdressers) were living at 217, Nevills Road, Letchworth.
William H married Emily Harriet Harvey on 15 Mar 1916 in St Pancras, London.
His widow Emily later lived at 89, Clarendon Road, Southsea, Portsmouth.
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for William H who was was enlisted in Jun 1917 as Private 39372, Northamptonshire Regiment, and at some time transferred to the Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 40923 before being attached to the Hertfordshire Regiment.
The Hertfordshire Regiment about this time (1917) were part of 11 Brigade, 39 Division and were engaged in the Battles of 3rd Ypres (Passchendaele) at Pilkem (31 Jul-2 Aug) sustaining heavy losses and when William may have been attached, Menin Road (2-25 Sep) and Polygon Wood (26 Sep-3 Oct ). In this last action William was posted as Missing and later presumed to have died of wounds on 25 Sep 1917. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Ypres.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £3 and arrears of £2 7s 1d was paid to his widow Emily, who also received probate of £683.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Ellen Barnes, Jonty Wild
