Name
Richard William Wilkins
1893, (possibly 1887)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/04/1917
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
5605
London Regiment *1
13th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LONDON CEMETERY, NEUVILLE-VITASSE
II. B. 12.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Memorial, Apsley End, Hastings and St Leonards War Memorial, Sussex
Pre War
Richard William Wilkins, known as William, was born in 1893 in St Leonards on Sea, Sussex, the son of William Parry and Amelia Betsy (Millicent) Wilkins, and baptised on 1 October 1893 at St Mary Magdalen, St Leonards, Sussex. He had a brother Percy who was born in 1896 in Hastings.
On the 1901 Census, he was living with his mother and siblings Betsy and (Violet) Elsie at 1 Salisbury Road, Hastings. His father was not with them, and his mother's occupation was given as carpenter.
He was working at John Dickinson & Co, Apsley Mills prior to enlistment and was a member of the congregation at St Mary's Church, Apsley End.
Wartime Service
Formerly 4006, 28Th London Regt. William enlisted in April 1915 in St Leonard's on Sea, Sussex joining the 28th (County of London) Battalion (Artists' Rifles),which was based at Richmond Park Camp. On completion of basic training he was posted to the 1/15th (County of London) Battalion, (Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles) and sent to France on 22 June 1916.
He joined the Battalion at Souchez, north of Arras and had been in France for less than a month when he was wounded by an enemy shell on 19 July at Berthonval and was taken to hospital, and then evacuated to England, spending some months recovering.
He was then posted to the 1/13th (County of London) Battalion, (Kensingtons), which had trained at Abbots Langley in 1914 before going to France. He joined them at Bailleul, France in January 1917.
He was killed in action on 9 April 1917 from shell fire during an attack on the village of Neuville-Vitasse and was one of 43 killed in action that day. He is buried in the London Cemetery at Neuville-Vitasse, France.
Additional Information
His [maternal] grandmother Caroline Snelling received a war gratuity of £8 10s and pay owing of £7 15s 7d. N.B. The date of birth as 1893 does not correlate with the CWGC age at death, but does fit with other records. His regimental no. varies on some records as 5606 and 492521.
1 Believed more correctly, (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (Kensington).
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com.
