More for my own records and for the family, after Remembrance Day and several posts on FB I found this
Sergeant William Gardner, DCM, MM, number 15241, 8th King’s Own.
Died of wounds on 8th March 1917 whilst serving in Mesopotamia. He was awarded the Military Medal in the list of King’s Birthday Honours published June 1916.
“A veteran in the King’s Own, who gained the Military Medal for bravery in the field at Ypres in 1916, is officially reported to have died of wounds in action in Mesopotamia. Sergeant William Gardner, 40, King’s Own, leaves a widow and seven children residing at 1 Albert Square, Bridge Lane, Lancaster. Having previously served in the Active Service Company of the King’s Own Volunteers in the South African War, he again volunteered for the front, and was attached to the 8th King’s Own. When the battalion did such good work near Ypres in April 1916, he was to the fore and was wounded in the same battle as Captain Hamilton. He was hit in the shoulder, and had shown such gallantry that he was awarded the MM at Plymouth early in September 1916. While on Depot duty in the south, he volunteered for Mesopotamia and went there before last Christmas. A postcard was received this week dated 2nd February 1917, saying he had just joined his regiment and was ‘in the pink’. According to a report from the Records Office at Preston, he died of wounds on 8th March 1917, and it is probable that he figured in the attack on the Turks which culminated in the capture of Baghdad.” Lancaster Guardian 27th March 1917.
Sergeant William Gardner, DCM, MM, number 15241, 8th King’s Own.
Died of wounds on 8th March 1917 whilst serving in Mesopotamia. He was awarded the Military Medal in the list of King’s Birthday Honours published June 1916.
“A veteran in the King’s Own, who gained the Military Medal for bravery in the field at Ypres in 1916, is officially reported to have died of wounds in action in Mesopotamia. Sergeant William Gardner, 40, King’s Own, leaves a widow and seven children residing at 1 Albert Square, Bridge Lane, Lancaster. Having previously served in the Active Service Company of the King’s Own Volunteers in the South African War, he again volunteered for the front, and was attached to the 8th King’s Own. When the battalion did such good work near Ypres in April 1916, he was to the fore and was wounded in the same battle as Captain Hamilton. He was hit in the shoulder, and had shown such gallantry that he was awarded the MM at Plymouth early in September 1916. While on Depot duty in the south, he volunteered for Mesopotamia and went there before last Christmas. A postcard was received this week dated 2nd February 1917, saying he had just joined his regiment and was ‘in the pink’. According to a report from the Records Office at Preston, he died of wounds on 8th March 1917, and it is probable that he figured in the attack on the Turks which culminated in the capture of Baghdad.” Lancaster Guardian 27th March 1917.
This is my first post regarding Great Granddad
I love this! I enjoy family history so much and have had so much fun finding the stories that go with the facts - researching the time period and area and what made them who they were! Thank you for sharing your brave ancestor, I have recently been reading about WWI and he was in the thickest of the fighting (and the Boer war as well?) Ypres was one of those mustard gas areas with terrible trench warfare! How wonderful to find this brave relative, be careful one thing leads to another when you get started on this journey!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kathy, reading about war is a harrowing experience in itself but it helps us to understand so many things and perhaps too how it affects our own families,
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