Name
William John Curtis (MM)
16 February 1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
07/07/1918
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Sergeant
112222
Royal Engineers
“H” Special Company (Gas).
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Military Medal & Bar
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ETRETAT CHURCHYARD EXTENSION
II. E. 2.
France
Headstone Inscription
LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS
UK & Other Memorials
St James’ the Great Church Memorial, Thorley, Working Men’s Club / Village Hall, Memorial, Thorley, Bishops Stortford Town Memorial, Duke of Yorks' Royal Military School Memorial, Dover
Pre War
William John Curtis was born in Portslade, (Brighton) Sussex on 16 February 1895 to William and Janet Curtis. He was known as Jack. On the 1901 Census he was living with his parents and family in Newtown, Layston, nr Buntingford. Herts. His father was an Army Pensioner who had served in the Rifle Brigade in the Crimea, India and China.
By the 1911 Census, age 16, William was living in St Lucia
Barracks, Royal Irish Fusiliers, 1st Btn, Bordon, Hants. The family
lived at 5
Hugh Villas, Thorley, and later Clive Cottage, Nursery Road, Bishop's
Stortford.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of the war William was, 10262, in the 87th Royal Irish Fusiliers and he went to France on August 18th 1914. He was wounded on November 28th 1914, being shot through the lungs. He transferred to the Royal Engineers in June 1915.
He gained the Military Medal, and was awarded a bar for conspicuous bravery on April 4th 1918 during the retreat from St Quentin. He was wounded again, this time in the back, on May 28th, 1918, and died of those wounds at the No. 1 General Hospital, at Etretat, France on July 7th 1918.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
John E. I. Procter (Rector of Thorley), Bill Hardy, Philip Hargrave - www.friends-stjames.org, Jonty Wild
