Name
William George Aldous
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/08/1916
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
537
Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment)
11th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BOUZINCOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
II. F. 11.
France
Headstone Inscription
UNTIL THE MISTS HAVE ROLLED AWAY
UK & Other Memorials
Radlett Town Memorial, Radlett, Christchurch Memorial, Radlett, Not on the Arkley memorials
Pre War
William Aldous was born in 1894 in Arkley, Barnet, Herts to Benjamin and Sarah Aldous and baptised on 3 June 1894 at Chipping Barnet, Herts. He was one of 8 children, although 2 had died by 1911.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Jones's Cottages, Arkley, Barnett, where his father was working as a brickmaker. By 1911, the family had moved to 24 Cottage, The Flats, Radlett, Herts where William was working as a Domestic Gardener.
His parents later lived at The Hook, Ramsbury, Wilts.
Wartime Service
His service record shows that he enlisted on 17 August 1914 at Mill Hill and joined the Middlesex Regiment. He was made an unpaid Lance Corporal on 9 April 1915 and was posted abroad on 9 January 1916 but deprived of his stripe on 2 May 1916 and reverted to Private.
William died of wounds received in action on 11 August 1916, according to his service record, however the Commonwealth War Graves show his date of death as 10 August. He is buried in Bouzincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France.
Additional Information
His father, Benjamin Mr B F Aldous, The Hook, Ramsbury, Wilts. ordered his headstone inscription: "UNTIL THE MISTS HAVE ROLLED AWAY".
His father received a war gratuity of £8 and pay owing of £2 17s 2d. His mother received a pension of 5 shillings a week.
N.B. Not found on Medal Index Cards but on Medal Rolls his number is given as G/537 and his rank as Lance Corporal. Not found on Soldiers Who Died in the Great War lists. The register of Soldiers' Effects gives his date of death as 11.8.16 and gives correct surname Aldous. On some records his name is misspelt as Aldons.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
