Name
William Field
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/08/1917
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/23279
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DUISANS BRITISH CEMETERY, ETRUN
VI. C. 1.
France
Headstone Inscription
PEACE PERFECT PEACE
UK & Other Memorials
Wheathampstead Village Memorial
Pre War
William was born in 1890 (baptised on 26 Jan 1890) in Nomansland, Wheathampstead to William Field, an agricultural labourer, and Phyllis (nee Roberts). On the 1891 Census, William was living with his parents at Nomansland, Wheathampstead with Elder sister Mary (born 18850 and elder brother Alfred (born 1887).
On the 1901 Census William still living at Nomansland with his parents, brother Alfred and sister Mary but also younger siblings Emily (born 1893), Bertie (born 1896) and John (born 1899). William’s Father died in 1904 and younger brother John died in 1906. On the 1911 Census William was working as a farm Labourer, and living with his widowed mother, a home worker, in Nomansland together with sisters Mary and Emily, brother Alfred, labourer in a nursery, and Bertie also a farm labourer.
Wartime Service
No Service record could be found for William but other records suggest that he enlisted initial as Private G/10978 in Buffs (East Kent) Regiment and at some time he was transferred to 1st Battalion, Queens Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) as Private G/23279. He probably joined the Battalion in France in early 1917 and may have taken part in the Battles of Vimy, the Attack on La Coulotte and 3rd Scarpe as part of the Battles of Arras 1917.
He is reported died of wounds on 10 Aug 1917.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £4 10s and arrears of £5 19s 1d was paid to his mother Phyllis. Brother Alfred served with Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 23420 enlisting on 20 Nov 1915 and being medical discharged 14 Mar 1916 due to deafness.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
