Name
William Richard Atkins
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/09/1916
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
17069
Grenadier Guards
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 8D.
France
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
Christ Church Memorial, Watford
Pre War
Son of Richard and Alice Lilian (nee BARRETT) ATKINS.
His parents married 4 August 1894 at St Martin’s, Kentish Town, London. Richard died 1926 in Watford aged 54, and was buried 3 May in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Alice died 13 December 1950 in Watford aged 79, and was buried 18 December, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
William was born 7 April 1895 in Watford, and baptised 10 May 1896 at St Andrew’s, Watford. He attended first Callowland Infants’ School, Watford; then Callowland Board School from 6 January 1902 to 7 April 1909.
On the 1901 Census, aged 5 he lived in Watford, with his parents and three siblings. On the 1911 Census, aged 15 he still lived in Watford, with his parents and six siblings.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Watford; was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 20 September 1914, and was killed in action.
Additional Information
Recorded as: Lance-Corporal in the Borough Roll of Honour; as Private on his Medals Card; as Guardsman in the Soldiers Died in the Great War dataset; and as Corporal on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's dataset.
Unfortunately, William’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
