Name
William Delderfield
3 September 1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/05/1918
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
57726
Royal Fusiliers *1
7th (City of London) (Extra Reserve) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MESNIL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
Plot I, Row B, Grave 12.
France
Headstone Inscription
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN FROM YOUR LOVING WIFE & ALL AT HOME
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St John the Baptist Church Memorial, Aldbury, Aldbury Peace Memorial Institute Memorial, Aldbury, Not on the Berkhamsted Memorials
Pre War
William Delderfield was born on 3 September 1890 in Cheddington, Bucks, the son of Frederick William and Annie Elizabeth Delderfield (nee Fleckney) and baptised on 2 November 1890 at St John the Baptist, Aldbury. He was one of ten children, although two died in infancy.
His parents had married on 22 September 1886 at St John the Baptist, Aldbury and on the 1891 Census the family were living in the village of Aldbury, where his father was working as a railway labourer.
He attended first Countess Rosebery’s Infants’ School, Cheddington, from 26 September 1893 to 2 July 1897; then Cheddington National Mixed School from 2 July 1897.
By the 1901 Census they had moved to New Street, Cheddington, where his father was working as a platelayer. They had returned to Aldbury in 1911 at which time William was working as a domestic gardener aged 20.
He married Ivy Welling on 12 November 1916 at St John the Baptist, Aldbury, and lived at 10 Bedford Street, Watford. He was said to be living in Watford at the time of enlistment.
His father died in 1930 in Aldbury aged 63, and was buried on 20 June at St John the Baptist, Aldbury his mother died in 1935 in the Berkhamsted district aged 69.
Ivy later lived at 23 Bridge Street, Berkhamsted and Rosemary Cottage, Northchurch and remarried on 2 April 1923 at St Dionis, Fulham, London, to Frederick Henry Matthews. She died in 1926 in Chelsea, London, aged 35.
Wartime Service
William enlisted in Watford and served with the 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers.
He was killed in action on 25 May 1918 and is buried in Mesnil Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
Additional Information
His wife, Mrs I Delderfield of 23 Bridge Street, Berkhamsted, ordered his headstone inscription: "GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN FROM YOUR LOVING WIFE & ALL AT HOME".
His widow received as war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £3 16s 9d. She also received a pension of 13s 9d a week.
There is a brief article about William in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 6 July 1918. Unfortunately, William’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
*1 Probably more correctly (City of London) Bn. London Regiment.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jo Bayley, Jonty Wild, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk),
