Name
William Kelly (Cook)
1899
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/08/1918
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
33165
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BAGNEUX BRITISH CEMETERY, GEZAINCOURT
V. B. 31.
France
Headstone Inscription
GONE FROM OUR HOME BUT NOT FROM OUR HEARTS
UK & Other Memorials
St Francis of Assisi Memorial, Hammerfield,
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial,
St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor,
GB Kent & Sons (Kent Brushes) Memorial, Apsley
Pre War
William Kelly (Cook) was born in Whitechapel, London in 1898, the son of Alice Kelly (Campbell nee Crawley) who had been born in Hemel Hempstead and William Kelly. His birth was registered as William Cook in the first quarter of 1898 at Whitechapel. He was one of five children born to Alice.
His mother's first marriage was to Byron Campbell in London in 1883 and on the 1891 Census the family were living in Willesden, Middlesex, but Byron died in 1891 followed by half sister Alice the following year, aged 3. His mother then had a son Arthur in 1894 by William Cook, who died less than a year later, and then William and his brother George by William Cook. No marriage records have been found for William Kelly and William Cook.
On the 1901 Census he was living with his widowed mother and siblings at 16 Brunel Street, West Ham, two of whom were given the surname Campbell and two the surname Kelly, however on the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 92 Bury Road, Hemel Hempstead, and all the surnames are given as Campbell.
William left school in 1911 and went to work at G B Kent & Sons Ltd, brushmakers of Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, where his brother Arthur worked. He remained working there until the time of his enlistment.
His mother later lived at 3 Glen View Gardens, Hammerfield, Hemel Hempstead, Herts and died in Hemel Hempstead in 1927 aged 65, when she had reverted back to the surname Campbell.
Wartime Service
William Kelly enlisted at Bedford, joining the Bedfordshire Regiment, and was sent for basic training. When he went overseas in late 1917 he was posted to the 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.
His saw his first major action in March 1918 at the Battles of the Somme, St Quentin and Bapaume and after a period of rebuilding the Battalion following heavy casualties, William was then involved in the Battle of Albert but was seriously wounded and taken to the 56th Casualty Clearing Station where he died on 28 August 1918 from his wounds. He is buried in Bagneux British Cemetery, Gazaincourt, France.
Additional Information
His mother, Mrs A E Kelly, No. 8 Glenview Gardens, Hummerfield [sic Hammerfield], Hemel Hempstead, Herts., ordered his headstone inscription: "GONE FROM OUR HOME BUT NOT FROM OUR HEARTS".
His mother a war gratuity of £6 10s and pay owing of £3 12s, She also received a pension of 7 shillings a week.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild. www.dacorumheritage.org, www.hemelatwar.org,, www.hemelheroes.com.
