William Henry Whitbourne (1898-1918)
William was born in October of 1898 to William Thomas Whitbourne and Emma Warne. At the age of 13, he would appear to have had an irregular appearance at school; only attending on average three times per week - his father being fined 5 shillings at a magistrates hearing on the 11th of October 1912[1].
The 1911 Census gives the following family members: Emma Whitbourne (45), William Thomas Whitbourne (44), William Henry Whitbourne (12), Albert Thomas Whetbourne (10), Florence Emma Whetbourne (8) and Frederick John Whetbourne (2)[2].
At the age of 17, on the 10th of February 1916, he enlisted in the Sussex Yeomanry from his family home at 3 St. Johns Cottages which were located to the rear of Calvert Road[2] . Moving to the 2nd Battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps and serving in Egypt for a period as a rifleman before moving to France. He succumbed to the wounds he had received the previous day on the 29th of July 1918 at the age of 19. His remains are buried in Arneke, Departement du Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. The Observer notice of his death gives his parent's address as being 24 Wellington Mews on the 17th of August 1918[3], so it is possible that his family moved prior to his enlistment.
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References & Notes
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 12 October 1912 Pg. 0002
- ↑ a b UK Census 1911, Hastings, District 69, Sub-district All Saints
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 17 August 1918 Pg. 0002
