Name
William Edward Kingsley
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/08/1916
38
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
18301
Bedfordshire Regiment
8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MESNIL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
I. A. 20.
France
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 home was at 16, Sunnyside, Hitchin and he was the son of Elizabeth Kingsley. William attended Hitchin British Boys' School.
He was unmarried. Before joining up he was a builder’s labourer. He was born in Hitchin and was residing there when he volunteered in Bedford in December 1914.
Wartime Service
William’s Regimental Number was 18301. He trained at Ampthill and went to France on the 20th January 1916 serving in the 8th Battalion of the Regiment. He was said to have been hard-working and reliable. He fought at Ypres, Festubert and Loos and was killed in action by a shell on the Somme.
This was probably in the Beaumont Hamel area when the 8th Bedfords were providing work parties for the Signal Corps in digging cable trenches in preparation for an attack on Beaumont Hamel which did not eventually take place. The Battalion was billeted at Beausart. Ten officers and five hundred men were engaged in the work. One other rank was killed and one wounded that day. He is buried in Plot 1, Row A, Grave 20 in the Mesnil Communal Cemetery in France.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
