Name
William Mossman
31/08/1882
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
16436
Bedfordshire Regiment
7th Bn.
“D” Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Biography
William was only revealed during a search for soldiers’ service records. His shows that, when he enlisted, he was living in Pirton.
He was born in Pirton on August 31st 1882 and married Jennie Ada Ashpool in Luton on March 29th 1904. William’s mother was Miriam Mossman and by then his father had died and William’s family was living in his mother’s house in Luton. All three were connected with the straw hat trade and perhaps that is how William met his wife. Miriam and Jennie were listed as straw hat finishers, and William as a straw hat stiffener. At that date William and Jennie had two children, Miriam Leah (b 1904) and George Charles (b 1908), both born in Luton. He enlisted there on September 5th 1914, aged thirty-two, just a month after the war began. He became Private 16436, “D” company, 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. His home address is now given more fully as 196 Wellington Street, Luton. His service did not last long, as on January 25th 1915, having not left the country, he was discharged as medically unfit due to deficient teeth and gastric pain.
Acknowledgments
Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission
