Name
William Chamberlain
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Pirton School Memorial
Biography
William appears on the School War Memorial, confirming that he attended the school. From the information supplied by Tracey Chamberlain, William must have been her Great-Grandfather. If this is the case, William was born on December 21st 1888 to Charles and Martha Chamberlain (née Martin), who lived in one of the Holwell Cottages (second from the village end). These are the twelve terraced cottages in Holwell Road also known as the ‘Twelve Apostles’. He would have been twenty-five at the outbreak of war. Baptism and census records reveal six children: Bertram Frank (b c1878), Jane (b 1880), Anne (b 1882), Emily (bapt 1885), William (b 1888) and Ellen Rebecca (b 1891).
By 1911, he was twenty-two, earning his living as a farm labourer and had been married for a year to Annie. They had a son, Phillip Edwin (b 1910), and were living near the Blacksmith’s Arms, which was in the High Street opposite the Blacksmith’s pond. They had two more sons, Alfred (b 1912) and Jack. Alfred was the father of Frederick William Walter Chamberlain, Tracey's father, who was perhaps, at least in part, named after William.
So, William was married and had children before he went to war. His family believe that he served in the artillery and that he was gassed. He died on October 8th 1924, aged thirty-eight, and is buried in St. Mary's churchyard with Charles and Martha. It is believed by the family that his early death was at least part due to the mustard gas poisoning he suffered during the war.
Acknowledgments
Tracey Chamberlain, Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission
