Rifleman R/2785 William John HEXTALL

South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One

Rifleman R/2785 William John HEXTALL - 17th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps

Killed in Action on Tuesday August 8th 1916 aged 27

Military History


Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders	1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals	Essex Farm Cemetery

Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
21 May 1915	~	Hatton: Memorial Cross \| Roll of Honour \| Mens Club

Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted	Other War Memorials
Battle of the Somme	Warwick	~

Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units
near Les Choquaux	~

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)

William is listed as being killed in action on 8 August 1916. The war diary for the period 6th to 8th (a single entry) is transcribed below and it seems that William was the only man killed during that time whilst on a working party:

6^th August 1916 to 8^th August 1916 – Tuning Fork.

Battalion relieved by 13^th R Sussex Regt and moved into divisional reserve, billeting at Les Choquaux and relieving 14^th Hants Regt. During the battalion stay at Tuning Fork, general training was carried out, particular attention being paid to marching. The following casualties were incurred while engaged on working parties:

Other Ranks: 1 Killed (William) and 2 Wounded. END

9^th August 1916 – Les Choquaux

4 other ranks join the Battalion from base. END

Personal & Family History

Birth Date/Place	Baptism Date/Place
Oct Qtr 1888 East Cowes, Isle of Wight

Parents Names	Abode
Samuel (deceased 1891) and Sarah Hextall	100 Oxford Road, Acock's Green (CWGC)

Wife	Marriage Date/Place
Annie Hextall nee Cooper	Apr Qtr 1916 in Solihull District

Schools	Colleges
	~

Address History	Employment History
1888 - Isle of Wight	1911 - House Painter
1891 - Coast Guard Station, Cowes (visitor)
1901 - Hatton (boarder aged 12)
1911 - 162 Queens Road, Clarendon Park, Leicester (boarder)
1916 - The Bakery, Warwick Road, Olton

William's father Samuel married his mother Sarah nee Breedon in Oct Qtr 1887 at Warwick. Sarah was born in Leamington Spa. They moved to the Isle of Wight sometime between Oct 1887 and Oct 1888 when William was born in Cowes.

In Jan-Mar 1891 Samuel died on the Isle of Wight leaving Sarah with two children, William John and Florence Kate
In Apr 1891 census Sarah (aged 30), William (aged 2) and Florence (aged 1)were visiting the Job family in Cowes, IoW.
In 1901 William (aged 12) and Florence (aged 11) were living as boarders with Francis Cope, a widow, in Hatton and mother Sarah was a Nurse living and working at Hatton Asylum
In 1911 William was living as a boarder in Leicester, Florence was a Nurse at Middlesex County Asylum and mother Sarah was still working as a Nurse at Hatton Asylum
Census records then run out until after the war and in 1921 mother Sarah was working at a Pensioners Hospital in Birmingham

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