Name
William John Kingsley
1879
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/03/1918
39
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
33995
Royal Fusiliers
37th Bn.
transf. to (64421) 108th Coy. Labour Corps
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
FAUBOURG D'AMIENS CEMETERY, ARRAS
VII. B. 27.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Baldock Town Memorial, St Mary the Virgin Church Memorial, Baldock, Not on the Buntingford memorials
Pre War
William John Kingsley was born in Sandon, Buntingford, Herts, 1879 the son of John Kingsley and an unknown mother.
On the 1881 Census he was listed Johnnie Kingsley, as a 2 year old 'visitor' at the home of Sarah Parrington, a needlewoman, and Clara Staton, a servant, in Middle Row, Baldock. Herts. Clara married Charles Shepherd and 12 year old William, listed as a boarder, was then living with Clara and her husband and their three small children, at Green End, Sandon, where Charles Shepherd was a farmer. Charles died in1892 and on the 1901 Census, Clara was the head of the household living at Prospect Terrace, Baldock. Her occupation was given as cook domestic and William, again listed as a boarder, was working as a groom domestic
He married Frances Elizabeth South on 23 October 1901 at Baldock Parish Church and on the 1911 Census they were living at High Street, Baldock, with their three children, Eric, Gladys and Robert. Three other children had died in infancy. William was then working as a window cleaner and gardener. They had a further four children, Alice, George, Albert and Kenneth. According to a newspaper report they lived at 87 High Street, Baldock and he had been employed for 6 years by W. Picton in Letchworth before enlisting under Lord Derby's scheme.
His widow later lived at 29 Nightingale Way, Baldock, Herts.
Wartime Service
He attested in Hitchin on 11 December 1915 under the Derby Scheme (which encouraged men to enlist voluntarily with an obligation to be called up and mobilised at a later date) and was posted to the army reserve on 12 December 1915. He was not mobilised until 13 June 1916 and was then posted to the 37th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers on 19 June 1916. On 14 May 1917 he was transferred to the 108th Company of the Labour Corps with the reg. no. 64421 and left for France on 11 July 1916.
William was killed by action from shellfire on 21 March 1918, aged 39. His death was reported in the local paper, dated 20 April. His Commanding Officer wrote:
"As one of the old 37th Battalion, he was well-known and respected in the Company, and for myself I feel that I have lost a man who could always be relied upon to do his bit. "
He is buried in Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery, Arras, France.
Additional Information
His widow, Frances, received a war gratuity of £8 and pay owing of £9 6s 9d. She also received a pension of £2 6s 3d a week for herself and her 7 children. (N.B. one child, was born a few months after her husband's death.
Acknowledgments
Kate Thompson, Derry Warners, Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson, Carol Emery
