Name
William Edward Sadler
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
08/05/1915
18
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
3rd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment
Attached to "A" Coy. 2nd Bn. South Lancashire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LARCH WOOD (RAILWAY CUTTING) CEMETERY
II. H. 15.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Abbots Langley memorials
Biography
William Sadler applied for a commission at the outbreak of the Great War, and was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant, 10th South Lancashire Regiment on13th November 1914. Soon afterwards he transferred to the 3rd Battalion. He was born at Upper Clapton, London on 20th September 1896, and was living at Highgate at the time of joining up. He had been a member of the Officer Training Corps at both Cranleigh and Highgate Schools and was working in insurance with Messrs Price, Forbes and Co of Lloyds London when he enlisted
He was the eldest of four sons and a daughter of William and Ada Sadler of “Abbotsford”, Abbots Road. At the time of the 1911Census his parents lived at Highgate, and William was away at School, however at some point after that they moved to Abbots Langley and in the Commonwealth War Graves Records the family was recorded living at “Abbotsford” at Abbots Langley. More recently the house has been replaced by new properties between 115A and 117 Abbots Road.
Having arrived in France on 24th March 1915, William was attached to the 2nd Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment. He survived barely six weeks before being killed in action on 8th May whilst deepening some partly made trenches on Hill 60 near Ypres in Belgium. His Company Commander wrote
“Shortly before he was hit I had been round his platoon in the trenches and thought what a cheerful, smart young fellow he was and how well and bravely he was doing his duty”.
Adjutant Major Cotton added
“He was a gallant lad, most deservedly popular and a thoroughly promising young officer, keen, energetic and reliable”.
William’s brother, David George Sadler, served with the RAF from 1918 and his cousins Kendal Sadler, who lived in Abbots Road, Geoffrey and John all survived the War and were recorded in the Abbots Langley Roll of Honour.
William was not included in the Abbots Langley Roll of Honour lists which appeared in the Parish Magazine each month throughout the War, and does not appear on the War Memorial.
Throughout the War the Roll of Honour was transcribed into red leather-bound ledgers by his aunt, Florence Sadler, who lived at “Woodmancote” in Abbots Road (today No 136), and it is unknown why he was not included in the village records, whilst other members of his family were.
Additional Information
He is buried in the family plot in in Abbots Langley (Saint Laurence) Churchyard, his inscription reads:
“. . . ALSO HIS ELDEST SON WILLIAM EDWARD SADLER BORN SEPT. 20TH 1896 KILLED IN ACTION ON HILL 60 MAY 8TH 1915 I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH”
Acknowledgments
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
