William James Perkins

Memorial: Oldbury-on-Severn - St. Arilda’s Church

Regiment: Yorkshire Regiment - The Green Howards

Medals: 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Silver War Badge, Victory Medal

Rank and number: Private 42422

Parents: William James and Louisa Perkins

Home address: Lighthouse, Shepperdine, Thornbury, Bristol

Pre-war occupation: Labourer

Date of birth: 29/01/1895

Place of birth: Shepperdine, Thornbury

Date of death: 27/07/1917

Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Fins New British Cemetery, Sorel-Le-Grand Somme, France. Commemorated on St Oswald’s Church Memorial Rockhampton and St Arilda's Oldbury on Severn

Age: 22

Further information:

William was born in Shepperdine, the son of a lighthouse keeper and a middle child of ten children with five sisters and four brothers. One of his brothers, Robert, also saw war service and died the year after William.

William initially enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery (183748) later transferring to the Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howard's) when the 13th Battalion was formed in July 1915 specifically to take men who did not meet the minimum height and chest size requirements for the Army. William and his battalion mobilised to France in June 1916 and took part in various actions on the Western Front including The Battle of the Ancre and the pursuit of the German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line. Although William was recorded as being killed in action, on the day of his death his battalion was not involved in any specific action. It is therefore likely that William was a victim of the day to day trench warfare that accounted for around 300 deaths per day throughout the war. The cemetery where William is buried was used by fighting units and field ambulances of the front line.

By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):

This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=6228