BORN – Cheam, Surrey
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation
JOB – Coach Painter
UNIT – 1 Bn North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales)
RANK – Private 28654
THEATRE – Somme / Died of tetanus 7 September 1916, General Hospital Rouen. Likely infected at Guillemont 1 Bn North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales). September 1916.
DIED – Died 7 September 1916. Aged 40.
BURIED – St Sever Cemetery, Rouen. (CWGC)
William Wilkinson was born on 1 September 1876 at Cheam, Surrey to William and Jane Wilkinson. His siblings were Nelly, Mary, Joseph, (him) and Frances. His father was a butler and moved often, most likely for his work. In 1881 they were in Northumberland at Kirkley Hall, a country estate not far from Morpeth. By 1891 they were living on Main Street, Staveley, Yorkshire. Two of his siblings, Joseph and Frances would settle in Harrogate. No record of William can be found in the 1901 Census but in 1911 he is living at a Salvation Army working man’s hostel at Walmer Buildings, Ryder Street, Birmingham. He is single and working as a coach painter. It is possible that he was working away from home which was in Oswestry. In March 1916 he married Elizabeth Evans, a widow nee Lee, their address is given as 43 Orchard Street Oswestry. Elizabeth was originally from Llanfyllin. At this time too William had joined up.
William was very likely a Derby Scheme man. Given his age in 1914 of 38 he was exempt from service, in May 1915 the age limit was lowered from 40 to 38 and, in the autumn, the Derby Scheme was introduced. William enlisted in December 1915, a few days before the last day of registration under the Scheme and joining the KSLI. He was mobilised in March 1916 at Park Hall Camp and was posted to the 3 Bn North Staffordshire Regiment, a training and reserve unit. He went over to France in early July 1916 and was posted to 1 Bn NSR, likely joing the battalion in a draft of 96 ORs on 6 July (in the same draft as Private 28601 George Parry) . During July the battalion had been out of the line in camp at Loire. They moved into the Somme sector at the beginning of August and had been engaged in the fighting around Guillemont and Delville Wood. William died of Tetanus in a General Hospital at Rouen on 7 September 1916. It is most likely that he had been injured or wounded and had contracted tetanus sometime during the previous weeks. William is buried St Sever Cemetery in Rouen.
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