Name
William Delderfield
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/05/1918
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
57726
Royal Fusiliers *1
7th (City of London) (Extra Reserve) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MESNIL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
Plot I, Row B, Grave 12.
France
Headstone Inscription
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN FROM YOUR LOVING WIFE & ALL AT HOME
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St John the Baptist Church Memorial, Aldbury, Aldbury Memorial Hall
Pre War
Son of Frederick William and Annie Elizabeth (nee FLECKNEY) DELDERFIELD of Aldbury, Herts; husband of Ivy (nee WELLING) DELDERFIELD of Berkhamsted, Herts.
His parents married 22 September 1886 at St John the Baptist, Aldbury. Frederick died 1930 in Aldbury aged 63, and was buried 20 June at St John the Baptist, Aldbury; Annie died 1935 in the Berkhamsted district aged 69.
William was born 3 September 1890 in Cheddington, Bucks, and baptised 2 November 1890 at St John the Baptist, Aldbury. He attended first Countess Rosebery’s Infants’ School, Cheddington, from 26 September 1893 to 2 July 1897; then Cheddington National Mixed School from 2 July 1897. He married Ivy Welling 12 November 1916 at St John the Baptist, Aldbury, and resided in Watford. Ivy remarried 2 April 1923 at St Dionis, Fulham, London, to Frederick Henry Matthews, and died 1926 in the Chelsea, London, district aged 35.
On the 1891 Census, aged 7 months he lived in Aldbury, with his parents and one sibling. On the 1901 Census, aged 10 he lived in Cheddington, with his parents and four siblings. On the 1911 Census, a domestic gardener aged 20, he lived in Aldbury, with his parents and six siblings.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Watford; was entitled to the Victory and British War medals, and was killed in action.
Additional Information
His wife, Mrs I Delderfield of 23 Bridge Street, Berkhamsted, ordered his headstone inscription: "GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN FROM YOUR LOVING WIFE & ALL AT HOME".
There is a brief article about William in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 6 July 1918. Unfortunately, William’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
*1 Probably more correctly (City of London) Bn. London Regiment.
Acknowledgments
Jo Bayley, Jonty Wild, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
