Name
Herbert William Wilds
24th July 1899
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/08/1918
19 years
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
42506
Suffolk Regiment
2nd Battalion
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
RAILWAY CUTTING CEMETERY, COURCELLES-LE-COMTE
A. 5.
France
Headstone Inscription
"REST IN PEACE FROM FATHER AND MOTHER"
UK & Other Memorials
St John the Baptist Church Memorial, Cottered
Pre War
Herbert William Wilds was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, on 24th Jul 1899 son of William Wilds, a nursery gardener, (Born 1859 in Walkern, Herts), and Emily Maria (nee Law). Emily (Born 1873 in Langley, Essex) was William’s second wife. Herbert was baptised in Edmonton, Middlesex on 20th Aug 1899.
The 1901 Census records Herbert aged 1, living at 204 High Street, Cheshunt, Herts with his parents, stepbrothers William aged 14, Sidney aged 9 and stepsister Ellen aged 13,(their mother was Charlotte nee Poulton).
The 1911 Census records Herbert aged 11, at school and living with his parents and his sister Mabel Eveline aged 6, at Three Houses Farm Cottages, Codicote, Herts. By May 1912 the family are back in Cottered, and Herbert is back at Cottered Church of England School where he stayed until Jul 1913 when he left school to start work.
Wartime Service
Herbert enlisted in the County Town of Hertford. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, as a Private with the service number 42506.
There is no service record for Herbert but existing information suggests he was in France in 1917 and was in the Somme area during the Second Battles of the Somme 1918 at the battle of Albert 21 – 23 Aug 1918 where he was Killed in Action on 21st August 1918.
He is buried in the CWGC Railway Cutting Cemetery, Courcelles-Le-Comte, Pas de Calais, France.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £7 paid on 19th December 1919 and arrears of £4 12s 10d went to his mother Emily H. Wilds on 16th December 1918. An additional payment of £1-15s-6d was paid to his mother on 28th May 1919. Mr W. Wilds, Cottered, Buntingford, Herts, ordered his headstone inscription: ""REST IN PEACE FROM FATHER AND MOTHER".
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne, Neil Cooper
