WALLACE, William


No. 7948847, Fusilier, William WALLACE
Aged 20


2nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
Died of his Wounds on Saturday, 27th November 1943

William WALLACE was born on 26th August 1923 (Bury St.Edmunds Q3-1923 4A:1588) the son of Arthur, licensed victualler born Brockley, Suffolk(1860) and Maud Violet WALLACE (née HUTTON) (b. Ealing 1/8/1886 - m. 1918)

His father died on 9th January 1930: Possibly in 1911 the licensee (single) Brewer at the Bull Hotel in Cavendish. A shareholder in Great Western Railways.
In the 1939 register, his mother Maud V WALLACE , a widow, was at Bury Road, Culford with one closed record, which may well have been his sister Edith J (b. 1919). Mother died in 1975 in Whepstead.

William joined Form 3B at Culford in September 1935 and left in December 1941. His parents address on the admissions card is "Whepstead, Suffolk"


The distinctive red and white Hackle of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. The Hackle was awarded in recognition for the defeat of the French at the Battle of St Lucia in 1778. The white hackles were removed from the French dead by the Fusiliers. In 1829 King George IV ordered the white plume to be worn by all line infantry regiments, and in order not to take away from the Fifth (Northumberland) Regiment of Foot's battle honour, their plume was distinguished with a red tip making the plume red over white.

The 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers, as with the other RNF battalions, was a machine gun battalion and joined 46th Infantry Division in North Africa on 3 July 1943 as a support battalion. It is not known for sure whether William was with them in North Africa. They then moved to Italy with the division taking part in the Salerno Landings, Capture of Naples, Volturno Crossing and Mont Camino.

The battalion had only two killed that day, in the 8th Army build up to an attack on the Gustav Line. No Trooper WALLACE of the RAC is recorded dying at that time


"Sunny Italy" 27 Nov 1943



The Culfordian from Spring 1944, p15 :-
WALLACE, William (Bill) (Trooper, RAC)
KIA on 25 November 1943. He was a member of a machine gun platoon taking part in an attack. His platoon came under very heavy enemy shell fire and he, together with others of his comrades, was wounded. He was evacuated to hospital but died of his wounds the next day.
Bill Wallace had a splendid career at Culford. He was a great lover of literature, obtaining the Higher Certificate in English, History and French. He was just over 6 years at CS, leaving to join the Young Soldiers' Battalion of the RAC in Jan 1942. After the war he was hoping to enter Cambridge University, where he would undoubtedly have had a most successful career. Wallace was a quiet, thoughtful, intellectual boy of high ideals. He was tremendously keen to serve in the Army and, at the same time, even on service, his thirst for beauty grew deeper and deeper. In one of his last letters to his mother he asked that his copy of Spenser should be sent out to him so that he could steep himself in great verse in odd moments of freedom on active service.
I know that he loved Culford and all the beauty of Culford and he reflected that love in his own beautiful life. On his mother's side he could trace his descent from the great religious reformer of Bohemia, John HUS, whose letters were edited by Dr Workman. We all sympathise most deeply with his widowed Mother, his Sister and all the members of his Family in the loss of one whose young life was so full of the highest promise.
His Company Commander, in a letter of sympathy to Mrs Wallace, says: "Your son was liked by everyone and was a great companion at all times."

William was initially buried Sessa Military Cemetery and re-interred in Minturno on 13th December 1944.






photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



William Wallace is buried in Minturno War Cemetery, Italy, grave 2:E:7
Commemorated at Culford School, Culford Church, Culford Estate and Whepstead

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


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