Alderton's WW1 War Dead
Below are the biographical and military details of the sixteen men listed on the Alderton War memorial. I have also included two men whose names do not appear on the Alderton village memorial. Only one of the two Grimmett brothers appears on the memorial, so details of both are included below, and Jesse James, who was born in Alderton but lived in Stanton, where he is commemorated.
Private William Edward Shakespeare
Name/Rank: Private William Edward Shakespeare
Regiment/Battalion: 1st battalion Gloucestershire regiment
Service No: 16323
Date died: 26th September 1915
Buried/Commemorated: Loos Memorial to the Missing, France
Commemorated: Alderton War memorial and on his parent’s grave in St. Margaret’s church, Alderton
William Shakespeare was born in Alderton in 1893. His parents Thomas and Emily also had a daughter Mary who was two years younger than William. William was still living at home in 1911 and both he and his father were employed as general labourers.
Analysis of Gloucestershire regiment army service numbers suggests that William enlisted in the 1st battalion the Gloucestershire regiment at Tewkesbury in December 1914. The 1/Gloucestershire were a regular battalion and were part of the original BEF, landing in France in August 1914, forming part of 3rd brigade, 1st Division. William joined the battalion in France on 4th May 1915.
As part of the 1st Division the 1st battalion Gloucestershire regiment moved up to the trenches in the Loos area in preparation for the attack on the 25th September. The battalion followed up the initial assault with orders to take the Bois Hugo a wooded area south of the division's original attack. They consolidated the area and dug in overnight and were relieved on the 26th, during which they came under heavy machine gun fire. William was likely killed during this relief alongside fifteen of his battalion mates. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial to the missing in northern France.
Following William’s death a pension was awarded to his father, but no amount is recorded on the pension record. The Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £6 2s 11d & £3 that were paid to his father Thomas in 1916 and 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of William’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
William was entitled to the 1914-1915 Star and the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
William is commemorated on the Alderton War memorial and on his parent’s grave in St. Margaret’s church, Alderton and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial to the missing in northern France.
Regiment/Battalion: 1st battalion Gloucestershire regiment
Service No: 16323
Date died: 26th September 1915
Buried/Commemorated: Loos Memorial to the Missing, France
Commemorated: Alderton War memorial and on his parent’s grave in St. Margaret’s church, Alderton
William Shakespeare was born in Alderton in 1893. His parents Thomas and Emily also had a daughter Mary who was two years younger than William. William was still living at home in 1911 and both he and his father were employed as general labourers.
Analysis of Gloucestershire regiment army service numbers suggests that William enlisted in the 1st battalion the Gloucestershire regiment at Tewkesbury in December 1914. The 1/Gloucestershire were a regular battalion and were part of the original BEF, landing in France in August 1914, forming part of 3rd brigade, 1st Division. William joined the battalion in France on 4th May 1915.
As part of the 1st Division the 1st battalion Gloucestershire regiment moved up to the trenches in the Loos area in preparation for the attack on the 25th September. The battalion followed up the initial assault with orders to take the Bois Hugo a wooded area south of the division's original attack. They consolidated the area and dug in overnight and were relieved on the 26th, during which they came under heavy machine gun fire. William was likely killed during this relief alongside fifteen of his battalion mates. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial to the missing in northern France.
Following William’s death a pension was awarded to his father, but no amount is recorded on the pension record. The Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £6 2s 11d & £3 that were paid to his father Thomas in 1916 and 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of William’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
William was entitled to the 1914-1915 Star and the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
William is commemorated on the Alderton War memorial and on his parent’s grave in St. Margaret’s church, Alderton and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial to the missing in northern France.
