Name
William Buckoke
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Biography
William Buckoke was born in the spring of 1896 at Abbots Langley. William, his brother Henry and sister Alice, lived with their parents, William (senior) and Kate Buckoke at 20 Breakspeare Road, Abbots Langley. The family had lived in Breakspeare Road since before the 1901 Census. William (senior) worked as a Bricklayer’s Labourer, and in 1911 William (junior) worked as a Gardener’s Boy.
The National Roll of the Great War recorded that William volunteered in January 1915, and that later in that year he was drafted overseas. The Abbots Langley Parish Magazine Roll of Honour listed William for the first time in February 1915, serving with the Herts Territorials. The National Roll of Honour noted that he took part in much severe fighting on the Western Front, at Ypres, the Somme, St Julien and Armentieres, and was wounded. The Parish Magazine reported that he was wounded in the September 1917 edition.
Information received from the Herts at War Project indicated that William was wounded in action with the Hertfordshire’s on 31st July 1917 during an attack on the Langemark Line. In this action the Hertfordshire’s suffered 460 casualties, from the 620 men that started the attack at 3.50am that morning. William Jerram from Abbots Langley was killed in action during this battle, and Frank Burgess, another local man was wounded.
William recovered from his wounds and the National Roll of the Great War recorded that he served at some point with the Manchester Regiment, maybe when he returned to the Front, after his recovery. He was demobilised in January 1919.
Cyril Buckoke and George Buckoke also served in the War, and despite their families living in close proximity in Breakspeare Road, Abbots Langley, and at times in the Bedmond area it has not been possible to link them. All of the Buckoke boys survived the War.
Additional Information
Formerly 1st Hertfordshire Regiment & Bedfordshire Regiment.
Acknowledgments
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
