Name
Bertie Willey
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/09/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/29709
The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
10th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 14 to 17 and 162 to 162A.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hertford Town Memorial, Bengeo War Memorial Plaque, Holy Trinity Church, Bengeo
Pre War
Born in 1899 in Bengeo, Hertford son of Charles and Ellen Willey and living in 39 Duncombe Road, Bengeo in 1911. He had three brothers and one sister Nellie, he lived with his family in 1901 at 113 Bengeo Street, Hertford. By 1911 they had moved to 39 Duncombe Road, Bengeo and his father was employed as an assistant gardener.
Wartime Service
Enlisted at Hertford. Bertie’s unit, the 10th Battalion, went to France on 5th May 1916, and were in billets at Outersteen for the remainder of the month and in June moving to the Ploegsteert area.
They then took part in the Somme Campaign 1916 at Flers-Courcellette and Transloy Ridge. They were moved to the Ypres Salient and fought at the battles for Messines, Pilkem Ridge, Menin Road and operations on the Belgian Coast. In November 1917 the Division was transferred to Italy where they were stationed on the Piave River, north of Treviso.
In February 1918 they were ordered back to France and were in action at the battles of St Quentin, Bapaume and Arras before being moved back to Flanders and suffering very heavy casualties at the Battles of the Lys. On the 16th May the battalion was transferred to the 39th Division and on 16th August they were disbanded and the men transferred to other units. Bertie must have remained in the area as he is commemorated at Tyne Cot cemetery.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Terry & Glenis Collins
