William Winter Edwards

Name

William Winter Edwards
10 May 1897

Conflict

First World War

Date of Death / Age

13/04/1918
20

Rank, Service Number & Service Details

Lance Corporal
G/12821
The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
1st Bn.

Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards

British War Medal

Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country

LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY
XXVI.F.11
Belgium

Headstone Inscription

IN THE GLORY & JOY OF HIS YOUTH FOR HIS COUNTRY HE GAVE HIS ALL

UK & Other Memorials

Harmer Green & Digswell Memorial, Harmer Green,
St John's Church Memorial Plaque, Digswell,
Stained Glass Window, Hitchin Boys Grammar School,
St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin

Pre War

William Winter Edwards was born on 10 May 1897 in Dalston, Hackney, Middlesex, the son of Albert Samuel and Emily Edwards. On the 1901 Census the family were living at 72 Lavender Grove, Hackney, where his father was a cabinet maker.  He first attended the Hitchin Grammar School in the Winter of 1908 in the Upper 3rd Form, probably as a boarder. He was at the school in the Winter of 1910 in the Lower 5th Form, at which stage the Register terminates.

The family moved to Digswell but his father died in early 1911 and the Census shows he was living with his widowed mother and siblings at Winterton, Digswell and was baptised in Digswell, Herts on 12 April 1911 aged 13. At the time of enlistment he gave his address as 44 Pollard Road, Oakleigh Park, Whetstone, Middlesex and gave his occupation as a dining table maker.

Wartime Service

He enlisted in Welwyn on 27 November 1915 and was originally in the 8th Cyclist Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, and approved when he was mobilised on 12 May 1916 in Brighton. He gave his address as Winterton, High Welwyn, but this was crossed out and changed to 44 Pollard Road, Oakleigh Park, Whetstone, Herts.

He transferred to the East Kent Regiment on 6 October 1916.  On 27 June 1917 he was promoted to unpaid Lance Corporal, then paid Lance Corporal from 5 July 1917. The Battalion was in the 16th Brigade, 6th Division, IV Corps of the 3rd Army and his death occurred at the time of the great German Spring Offensive that commenced on the 21st March 1918. The Buffs were roughly south-south-east of Arras to the west of Moevres and were hard hit in the opening phase of the offensive as were many other Battalions.

He died from gunshot wounds to the head and arm at No. 10 casualty clearing station. He was buried, along with the 43 others who died that day, in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinghe, Belgium.  A private inscription on the headstone reads “In the glory and joy of his youth for his Country he gave his all”. 

Additional Information

On his service record his religion was given as Wesleyan. A war gratuity of £9 was awarded to his mother Emily. His paying owing was divided equally between his mother and sisters Mabel, Ethel and Alberta.

His mother, Mrs Emily Edwards o 44 Pollard Road, Oakleigh Park, London, N20 ordered his headstone inscription: "IN THE GLORY & JOY OF HIS YOUTH FOR HIS COUNTRY HE GAVE HIS ALL"

William is also commemorated on his parents' headstone in St John's Church Cemetery, his part of the inscription reads:

Acknowledgments

Brenda Palmer
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild,