Name
William Knightley Marks
9 May 1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/07/1916
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
13032
Dorsetshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
SERRE ROAD CEMETERY No.2
XII. H. 1/14.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no family inscription on his Headstone.
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Wheathampstead memorials, Not on the Gustard Wood memorial, Beulah Road School Memorial, Thornton Heath
Pre War
William Kightly Marks was born in West Dulwich, Lambeth,Surrey, on 9 May 1884, son of William Cherryman Marks, a Fireman and Frances Jane (nee Chapman). One of eight children. His father William was born in the USA as a British Subject and came to the UK as a child. The 1881 Census records William’s parents with Mary (born 1878), Theodore Alexander (born 1879), and Frances J (born 1881) living at 1, Station Road, Lambeth.
The 1891 Census records William aged 6, at school, living with his parents and Mary, Theodore, Maurice F (born 1881), and Hubert (born 1887) in 56, Furze Road, Croydon, Surrey. On the 1901 Census, William has left school and was working as a Carman, living at home with his parents, Frances J, Hubert J (born 1887, a shop porter), Stanley Neville (born 1894) and Olive G (born 1891) at 25, Livingstone Road, Croydon, Surrey.
In 1901 William joined 3rd Battalion Royal West Surrey Regiment, a Militia Formation, as Private 1731 and following some training enlisted in the Regular Army on 16 Apr 1902 as Private 17559 with Royal Army Medical Corps. Posted to Aldershot for Training he became a 3rd class orderly on 18 Dec 1902. He was discharged on 26 Feb 1904. His records state his Brothers Alex, Hubert and Stanley were all serving in the Dorsetshire Regiment.
Wartime Service
William enlisted at Croydon on 23 Mar 1915, for 7 years with the colour and 5 years in the Reserve with the Dorsetshire Regiment and given the service number 13032. He gave his date of birth as 9 May 1890, and not 1884. His occupation was a Porter, and his address was 35 Mersham Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey. He was posted to the 3rd(Reserve) Battalion, at Wyke Regis, Dorset arriving on 25 March 1915. On completion of his training he went to France, disembarking at Rouen, on 21 July 1915. From the Base Depot he went to the Front with 6 Entrenching Battalion on 8 Aug 1915 and transferred to 1st Battalion Dorset Regiment on 19 Dec 1915.
William was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, (1 July 1916). The 1st Battalion Dorsets objective was to attack a section of the German held Leipzig Salient, the Battalion attacked through the Authuille Wood. On leaving the wood they were in open ground and took heavy casualties from enemy machine guns fire, only one officer and about 25 other ranks reached the German trenches, William being one of the casualties. He was initially buried in Authuille Wood, his body was later exhumed and reburied in Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.
Additional Information
His body was found at map reference; 57d. X. I. c. 35. 95. before re-burial - identified from khaki, equipment and watch.
His mother applied for a dependents pension; this was turned down due to William’s age. His effects of £10-16s-10d, arrears and his War Gratuity of £7, was paid to his mother Frances. He appears to have no connection to Gustard Wood other than his parents lived in Gustard Wood at the time of his death. His father was a Fireman and moved about with his job.
Brother (Theodore) Alexander served from 1897 to 1909 with Dorset Regiment as lance Sergeant 5463 in South Africa from 1899 to 1901 having Queens South Africa Medal with 6 Clasps.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
