Name
William Jenkins
1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/11/1918
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
18678
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY
L. E. 27.
France
Headstone Inscription
FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, Preston Church Memorial, Preston
Pre War
William Jenkins was born in Preston in Hertfordshire in 1895, the son of William and Minnie Jenkins (née Boston, they had married in Hitchin on 13 July 1895.
In 1901 the family were living in Church Road, Preston. Present were both parents: William (38) and Minnie (29). His father was working as a Cowman on a Farm. They had two children William (5) and Cecil H at six months.
The family remained in Preston in 1911. Both parents were present, William (father) still a cowman on a farm and William (son), now 16, was working as a farm labourer. The two children named above had been joined by Arthur (9) and Laurance (4). The census recorded they had been married for 16 years with 6 children, of whom 1 had died – possibly Thomas Jenkins.
Before he enlisted in January 1915, he worked for Mr H E Seebohm.
His parents later lived at Hitchwood Cottages, Preston near Hitchin.
The Soldiers Died In The Great War (SDITGW) database records that he was born in Preston, Herts and was living there when he enlisted in Bedford.
Wartime Service
William enlisted in Bedford. was given the Regimental Number W.18678 and posted to the 1st Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment.
He was wounded in battle with a gunshot wound to his head and was admitted to the 11th Field Ambulance Hospital on 30 May 1916. At that time he was recorded as 20 and had been in service for 1 year and 7 months, of which 3 months had been overseas. He was then transferred to the 5th Divisional Rest Station on 11 June 1916
and died of his wounds aggravated by pneumonia on 20 November 1918.
He is buried in Plot 50, Row E, Grave 27 in the Etaples Cemetery, France. A private inscription on the headstone reads "Faithful until death".
Additional Information
His father received pay owing of £8 17s 9d authorised on 13 February 1919 and then a war gratuity of £18 10s authorised on 8 December 1919. However there is a second Soldier’s Effects record, suggesting another 12s 5d had been authorised to go to his father on 27 May 1919.
His mother received a pension of five shillings a week from 27 May 1919. He ordered his son's headstone inscription, while living at Hitchwood Cottages, Preston, Hitchin, Herts', it reads "FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH".
His pension cards record Minnie Jenkins, his mother, as his dependant, living at Hitchwood Cottages, Preston, Herts. She was awarded a pension of 5s a week from 27 May 1919.
N.B. The name William Jenkins is listed twice on the Preston Memorial. It is not known whether this is an error, or if there were two named William Jenkins living in Preston who died in WW1.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild, prestonherts.co.uk/ww1soldiers
