Name
Edgar Phillip King
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
07/06/1916
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/52706
Royal Fusiliers *1
26th (County of London)(Service) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VOORMEZEELE ENCLOSURE NO.3
XIII. H. 7.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, Hitchin British Boys' School Memorial, Hitchin
Pre War
His parents were Mr and Mrs A.J. King of 6, St. Anne's Road, Hitchin. He was born in the parish of St. Saviour's, Hitchin, attewnded Hitchin British Boys' School and was residing in Hitchin when he enlisted there.
He was married and his wife, Annie Florence King, lived in Hinchingbrooke Lodge in Huntingdon. He was the eldest of ten brothers and sisters and four of them also served in the armed forces.
Wartime Service
Initially he served as Number 37440 in the 98th Training Battalion, but then joined the Essex Regiment on the 19th April 1916. He was transferred to the Royal Fusiliers when he arrived in France on the 9th December 1916. He was then given the Regimental Number G/52706 and served in the 26th Battalion (Bankers) of the Regiment which was part of the 124th Brigade in the 41st Division of X Corps in the 2nd Army.
He was reported missing and later as having been killed in action in Belgium. He was last seen lying in a shell-hole and the next shell probably killed him as he was in the direct line of the German barrage. The date of his death coincides with the opening of the Battle of Messines when the British detonated 19 mines containing a total of one million pounds of ammonal creating gigantic craters, while the rest of the surface was covered with shell-holes full of poisonous gas. The mines were detonated at 3.10am zero hour and accompanied by a colossal artillery barrage in bright moonlight. The 26th Battalion then advanced promptly and steadily and occupied their objective, the Dammstrasse, with few casualties. There had been little resistance, but by the end of the day this had increased, and the Battalion sustained 203 casualties i.e. about a quarter of the fighting strength.
He was buried in Plot 13, Row H, Grave 7 in the Voormezele Enclosure No. 3 in Belgium.
Additional Information
Son of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. King, of Hitchin, Herts.; husband of Annie Florence King, of Hinchingbrooke, Huntingdon. The stone is inscribed "Peace Perfect Peace".
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London)
Bn. London Regiment (Bankers).
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
