Name
William John Rogers Field
1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/03/1916
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
10801
Royal Berkshire Regiment
5th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LOOS MEMORIAL
Panel 93 to 95.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no headstone. He is commemorated on the Loos Memorial to the missing.
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St Andrew's Church Memorial, Watford, Wigginton Village Memorial, Not on the Tring Memorials
Pre War
William Field was born in 1889, in Marylebone, London/Middx., son of Mary Louisa Field (born 1864 in Staverton, Devon).
The 1891 Census records William aged 2, staying with his grandmother Mary Maple and her son William Maple near The Pheasant, Wigginton, Herts. His mother, Mary Louisa (Field) was working as a cook at St Johns (school?), Chesham Road, Berkhamsted.
His mother married William Birch on 18 Apr 1892 in Potsgrove, Beds. She died 1951 in the Hemel Hempstead, Herts, district aged 86, and was buried 20 January in Heath Lane Cemetery, Hemel Hempstead.
1901 Census records William aged 12, at school, living with his mother and stepfather William Birch, stepbrothers, Joseph (born 1893), George (born 1895), John (born 1899) and stepsister May (born 1897), his grandmother Mary Maple is also staying with them, near the Brewhouse, Wigginton, Herts.
The 1911 Census records William aged 22, working as a farm labourer, living at home with his mother, stepfather and stepbrothers Joseph (farm labourer), George (farm labourer), John, and Sidney (born 1904) near The Pheasant, Wigginton, Herts.
William lived in Tring.
Wartime Service
William enlisted in London and posted to the Princes Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment with the Service No. 10801. No Service Record was found for William.
He was posted into The 5th (Service) Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment), which was a Kitchener Battalion (K1) raised at Reading in Aug 1914, then moved to Shorncliffe, in Jan 1915, they moved to Folkestone and then to Aldershot.
His overseas service commenced on 31 May 1915, landing at Boulogne as part of 35th Brigade, 12th (Eastern) Division. Initially in the Ploegstreet area the were moved to the Loos battleground in Sep 1915 and took part in attempting to capture the Hohenzollern Redoubt. They were relieved for training and recuperation returning in Feb 1916 to the the front line at Loos, where William was Killed in Action on 20th Mar 1916, he has no known grave and is Commemorated on the Loos Memorial to the Missing.
Additional Information
There are Death announcements for William in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 1 April 1916 and 15 April 1916. The value of his effects were £2-9s-8d, Pay Owing and £7-10s-0d, War Gratuity which went to his mother Mary. His stepbrother John Birch, 42443 1st/Lincolns, was Killed in Action on 21st Mar 1918, aged 19 and is Commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial to the missing. Unfortunately, William’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing. Unfortunately, William’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne., Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
