Name
William Alan Jeune Willans
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
24/03/1918
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
King’s Royal Rifle Corps
18th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 7
France
UK & Other Memorials
Much Hadham Village Memorial
St Andrew’s Church Memorial, Much Hadham
Stone Bench Plaque, Much Hadham
Congregational Church Memorial, Hadham Cross
Pre War
Born on 14 Apr 1896 and baptised on 20 May 1896 in Much Hadham son of Dr William Blundell and Henrietta Amelia (Jeune) Willans and was living in Chanos House, Much Hadham in 1901. He married Amy Willans and they lived at 10 Woburn Road, Bedford.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in the Public Schools Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, and was commissioned in February 1915 into the K.R.R.C. Commissioned Temporary 2nd Lieutenant Reserve Bn. on 22 Jul 1915 and appointed to the 21st Bn. on 2 Feb 1916, entered France on 2 Oct 1916. William went to France in October 1916, but was then posted with his regiment to Italy in September 1917. He had been acting Captain since 1916 and 3 days after his death official news was received that he had been made Captain. For three months during 1917, he was in hospital, at first in France and then at Reading in England, suffering from a knee injury from a riding accident and a bad attack of trench fever. On 21st March 1918, the first day of the big German offensive, he returned to France. On March 24th, the 181 K.R.R.C. were engaged in very heavy fighting at Bapaume. William was struck by a piece of shell and died instantaneously. On March 21st, the K.R.R.C. had approximately 900 men, but by the 30th they were down to just 80.
Additional Information
Some Memorials list Capt A J Willans K.R.R.C. and some A.J.Williams.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, “Lest We Forget – Much Hadham 1914-18” by Richard Maddams (Much Hadham Forge Museum)
