Name
William Huckle
1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/02/1916
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
19869
Bedfordshire Regiment
8th Battalion
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY
II.C.39
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER THEE
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Baldock memorials, Stotfold War Memorial, Bedfordshire
Pre War
William Huckle was born in 1884 in Stotfold, Beds, the son of William and Mary Ann Huckle, and was one of ten children, although one died in infancy.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Common Road, Stotfold where his father was working as a general labourer. They remained there in 1901, at which time 17 year old William was working as an ordinary farm labourer.
He married Alice Covington in 1903 and by the time of the 1911 Census they had two children, William (5) and Alice (4) and were living at Queen Street, Stotfold, Beds, where he was working as a general labourer in the building trade. They had another son, Frank, in 1912 and later lived at 30 Norton Street, Baldock, Herts.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Bedford and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment, serving with the 8th Battalion in France from 30 August 1915. He would have seen action at the Battle of Loos in September. At some point he was promoted to Lance Corporal.
In February 1916 the Battalion were near Poperinghe, Belgium, when William was wounded in action and died of his wounds on 15 February 1916, aged 32, at the 17th Casualty Clearing Station (CCS). He is buried in Lijssenthoek Cemetery, Belgium.
(N.B. The 17th CCS had moved to Remy Siding at Lijssenthoek in August 1915)
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £2 5s 6d. She also received a pension of £1 0s 6d a week which was later increased to £1 3s 0d from 8 September 1916. Her address was given as 17 Springshott, Letchworth on pension records.
Brother to Alfred Huckle who served with 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment and was killed in action in 1914 and who is also named on the Stotfold War Memorial.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson
