Name
William Wells
1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
25/09/1915
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
45822
Royal Field Artillery
2nd Bty.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star (with Clasp & Roses), British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PONT-DU-HEM MILITARY CEMETERY, LA GORGUE
I. D. 2.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Kimpton Village Memorial, St Peter & St Paul Church, Kimpton
Pre War
William Wells was born in Kimpton in 1890, the son of William and Elizabeth Wells (nee Archer), and one of six children. He was baptised on 3 August 1890 at St Peter and St Paul Church, Kimpton.
On the 1891 Census the family were living in Church Lane, Kimpton. where his father was working as a labourer and they remained at the same address in 1901. His parents had moved to High Street, Kimpton by 1911, but William had joined the army and was listed on the census as a serving soldier and was a Gunner with the 2nd Battery, Royal Field Artillery. in Bangalore, India.
He married Rebecca Weston in St Albans in 1913.
Wartime Service
When war was declared, William may have been a serving soldier or reservist, but he arrived in France on 14 October 1914 and served as a Gunner (Reg. No. 45822) with the Royal Field Artillery.
He was promoted to Corporal but was killed in action at the Battle of Loos, France on 25 September 1915, aged 25, and is buried at Pont-de-Hem Military Cemetery, La Gorgue Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
Although William married Rebecca Weston in 1913, it was his father who received a war gratuity of £7 and pay owing of £20 18s 2d. There appears to have been no pension paid to either his father or his wife.
In Kimpton churchyard is the gravestone of his father William Wells who died 21 Feb 1924 which has an inscription "William his son who fell at Loos 25 Sept 1915 aged 25 years"
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, livesofthefirstworldwar.org.uk
