HUMPHREY, William Thomas


No.241042, Private, William Thomas HUMPHREYS
Aged 18


1st/5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
formerly no. 3430, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Friday, 2nd November 1917


William Thomas HUMPHREY was born in Haverhill (Risbridge Q2-1891 4A:724), son of Alice HUMPHREY.

The surname is at times HUMPHREY and other times HUMPREYS

1901 census...Aged 1, he was at 39 Eden Road, Haverhill with his grandfather George HUMPHREY [47] domestic groom born Ridgewell; his grandmother Eliza [47]; mother Alice [22] coat machinist, aunts Rose Lily [20] jacket machinist, Lizzie [18] jacket machinist and Edith Ellen [6]; uncles Arthur [14] apprentice shoe maker, Albert William [11] and Ernest [9]. All except his grandfather. were born in Haverhill.

His grandmother died in 1902 and his grandfather in 1903.

1911 census...Aged 11 he was at 39 Eden Road, Haverhill with his mother Alice and aunt Edith Ellen.

His mother married Harry CLARKE in 1919.

His uncle Ernest HUMPHREY died just three weeks later, serving in France in the Suffolk Regiment. see here




He enlisted in Haverhill.
Zero hour on 2nd November for the 3rd attack on Gaza was 3 am. The objectives were the Turkish positions from Umbrella Hill to Sheikh Hassan , by the sea. Having positioned themselves in No Man's Land under the cover of a barrage, as soon as the barrage lifted they advanced and quickly reached the first line trenches of El Arish redoubt. The first, second and third lines were cleared, but this left their flank exposed, so they withdrew to the second line and consolidated. Similar operations followed, with the result that Gaza eventually fell on 7th November.

CWGC figures show the 5th Suffolks had 34 killed on 2nd, all bar 5 buried in Gaza War Cemetery.



photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



William Humphrey is buried in Gaza War Cemetery, grave 8:F:9

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


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