STEGGLES, William James


No.1601985, Gunner, William James STEGGLES
Aged 35


Royal Artillery, attached to 2nd Battalion, Dorset Regiment
Killed in Action on Thursday, 15th March 1945

William James Steggles was born in Soham (Newmarket Q4-1910 3B:426), son of Charles and Laura STEGGLES (née MUSK).

1911 census...Aged 6 months, he was at Tanners Lane, Soham with his father Charles STEGGLES [26] chauffeur/gardener, born Isleham and his mother Laura [29] born Fordham.

He attended Soham Grammar school from 1922 to 1929.

In the 1939 register, at 58 Downfields, Soham were his widower father Charles [22-5-1885] gardener/chauffeur (medical);his aunt, Sarah MUSK [31-10-1876] and two married ladies Ethel MANN and Rebecca SHATTER.


He attested for the Royal Artillery, 1st A.A. Battery, in 1940.

By March 1945 the Japanese were in retreat in Burma, the Allies making use of Karen guerillas to delay them with ambush after ambush. The race was on to re-take Rangoon before the monsoon, and it was, on May 3rd. Exactly where they were when William Steggles was killed in not known


photo from asiawargraves.com


photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



William Steggles is buried in Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar, grave 19:A:11 and is commemorated on the Soham Grammar School Roll of Honour

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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