Name
William Anning
8 September 1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
25/10/1918
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
69017
Canadian Infantry (New Brunswick Regiment)
26th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY
LXVII.L.11
France
Headstone Inscription
FAITHFUL TO THE END
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Digswell memorials, St Andrews War Memorial, Canada
Pre War
William Anning was born on 8 September 1889 in Digswell, nrWelwyn, Herts, the son of John and Adelaide Anning and baptised in Digswell on 6 October 1889. He was one of seven children.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Bothy Gardens, Digswell where his father was a gardener domestic. They had moved to Wateringbury, Kent, by 1901 and were living at The Street, where his father was a greengrocer/shopkeeper. His father died in 1905 aged 51.
William emigrated to Canada with his brother Sidney in 1910, leaving Liverpool on 15 April on the Victorian, and arriving on 22 April in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He lived in St Andrew's, New Brunswick and worked as a chauffeur. His mother and all his siblings also emigrated to Canada and were living together in New Brunswick in 1911, at which time, William was working as gardener.
Wartime Service
He attested on 18 November 1914 at St John, Nova Scotia, Canada and was described as 5ft 4½ in tall with blue eyes and light coloured hair and had served with the 28th Dragoons for 2 months. He joined the 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion (New Brunswick), Canadian Expeditionary Force and sailed to England on the SS Caledonia on 24 June 1915. After a short time in England, the battalion were then transferred to Boulogne on 15 September 1915.
He was admitted to the No. 23 General Hospital in Etaples on 12 February 1916 after being wounded in the head by shrapnel while serving in the trenches near Saint Julien, Belgium. He was in hospital for two weeks but recovered and re-joined his unit on 2 March. He was given 8 days leave in May and re-joined his unit on 26 May 1916, then being seconded as batman to Captain McCavity of the 2nd Army Signal School for a month in July 1916, later returning to his battalion. On 6 August 1918 he was posted to the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade headquarters.
William was taken to No. 4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station on 18 October 1918 suffering from a fever and was admitted to hospital on 22 October 1918. He died three days later at the hospital in Etaples, aged 27, from pneumonia said to be aggravated by active service conditions and is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
In his will he bequeathed everything to his mother who was then living at Algonguin Garage, St Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. His family received his memorial cross medal and memorial plaque.
N.B. his attestation papers give his birth as 8 September 1890, but GRO and baptism records show it as 1899.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Brenda Palmer, www.warmuseum.ca/medals-collection/recipients/96858
