Name
William Henry Clements
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/06/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
97519
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
153rd Company
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VLAMERTINGHE NEW MILITARY CEMETERY
I. D. 24.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Sawbridgeworth Town Memorial, Great St Mary’s Church Memorial, Sawbridgeworth, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
William was born on the 1st November 1897, in Sawbridgeworth, Herts., the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Clements. He was baptised on the 6th February 1898, in Sawbridgeworth. Joseph was a domestic groom. He was one of 9 children.
An analysis of the various census reveals that in 1901 William, aged 3, was living with his parents, brother Frederick and 2 sisters, in Church Street, Sawbridgeworth, Herts. In 1911 they were still in Church Street (no. 4). William now had 2 brothers and 6 sisters.
He was born and lived in Sawbridgeworth, Herts and he enlisted in Hertford on 2nd March 1916.
Wartime Service
He was called for service and signed his paper in Hertford on the 29th January 1917, joining the 1st Reserve Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment, with the Service No 11912. He was later transferred to the 3rd battalion Machine Gun Corps, with the Service No 97519. His initial training took place at Halton Park near Aylesbury, which is now RAF Halton, and it still has the training trenches (very much refurbished) which would have been used by William.
He served at home from the 2nd March 1917 to 19th May 1917. Then on the 20th May 1917 he embarked at Folkestone, disembarking the same day in Boulogne, France. William was posted to the 153rd Coy, Machine Gun Company on the 8th June 1917.
He died of wounds on the 29th June 1917.
Additional Information
CWGC records confirm his details as “Son of Joseph and Elizabeth Clements, of 4, Church St, Sawbridgeworth, Herts”. His headstone reads “Gone but never forgotten”, as requested by his mother.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne, Douglas Coe
