62178, Lance Corporal, William TOON
Aged 30
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Recorded as born in Ashtead(near Epsom) on 11th August 1888. His New Zealand Army records give his father as Job TOON and mother Rosa. However no such birth
is registered with the General Records Office. The census of 1901 has him born in Germany, a fact he may have not wanted to reveal to the New Zealand authorities William was a member of the Astley Club. 1881 census... Job TOON [28] was a Horse trainer/breaker born Atherstone, Staffs.,and was at Providence House, Cannock with his wife Rose Ann [Hannah] (née Deanes)(believed to be Rose Hannah DEANS) [27] and 4 sons, all born in Hednesford, Staffs.They were Walter [7] Herbert [5] Howard [4] and Ernest [2]. Herbert went on to be a top lightweight jockey. This is to try and sort out the history of William since much of his is unknown. The family went to Germany where a brother, Ernest, who was born in 1878, died on 3rd Nov 1884. A sister Ellen was born in Hoppegarten near Berlin on 31st August 1883 but died on 10th August 1885. Father Job was a head lad/trainer in racing , initially in Fuhlingen, Cologne and later at Hoppegarten near Berlin. 1891 census...None are found. 1901 census...William TOON [12], born Germany 1889, is a boarder, at Glenwood, High Street, Newmarket. Presumably Fanny TOON, also German born, is his sister. They are boarding with private school master John Turner and his wife Elizabeth and are British subjects. The rest of the family are in Germany where brother Herbert is a lightweight jockey, disappearing from the German records in 1906. 1911 census...William TOON had not been found in this census. Fanny (born Cologne, Germany) was a milliner, boarding at 8 Fitzroy Square, London. Brother Herbert (wife Minnie) were living in Newmarket at Houghton Villa, Cheveley Road.(this is the address given for his brother Herbert on the New Zealand records after the war). A jockey, William TOON, born 1889, sailed from Liverpool on 8th April 1913 on the SS Dryden for Rio de Janeiro. Newmarket Journal reported the death of William TOON, an apprentice jockey to Alfred Sadler (at Freemason Lodge, Bury Road, Newmarket). CWGC have him as the son of the late Job and Rose TOON.   thanks to Kai Hildebrandt for the information from Germany |
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He gave his occupation as stableman on enlistment, in 1917, in the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. and his next of kin as H TOON (brother) Houghton Villa, Newmarket. He had been in New Zealand for 2.5 years and was working for F.Davis, Greenmeadows, Napier. Enlisting for the duration of the war on 9th July 1917, he was 5' 2" (157.5 cm)tall, weighing 118 lbs (53.7 kg), chest 30.5" to 35 " (77.7 to 88.9 cm), blue eyes and dark brown hair. As part of G Company reinforcements, he embarked from Wellington on HMNZT 97 "Tahiti" for Liverpool on 16th November 1917, arriving in Liverpool on 7th January 1918. Unable to read his location in UK, but he left for France on 20th March 1918, eventually joining "D" Coy, 1st Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade on 8th April 1918. He was killed near Le Cateau, France and was initially buried in a courtyard in Crevecoeur sur l'Escaut, 8 km due south of Cambrai. Later when the concentration of graves took place he was moved to his present resting place along the D630 Cambrai to Bapaume Road at Anneux. The executrix and testatee of his will was Mrs Emily Anderson of Masonic Hotel, Woodville.In a letter to his brother the NZ Army explained they had sent his outstanding monies to her. Seemingly she had then moved on since his medals could not be sent to her and were sent to his brother. 15 New Zealand 1st Battalion, 3rd Rifle Brigade men died on 5th October and are buried in Anneux. That day they were relieved by US troops |
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