TYLER, Willie Edward


No.16476, Private, William TYLER
Aged 35


2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on 22nd January 1916


Willie Edward Tyler was born in Herringswell (4th qtr 1880 Mildenhall 4a:583) son of William and Louisa TYLER (née SANGSTER). His mother had previously been married to Joseph CLARKE.

1881 census...Aged 7 months, he was at Herringswell with his father William TYLER [36] farm labourer born Gazeley; his mother Louisa [38] born Cavenham; half brother Benjamin Joseph CLARKE [9] born Gazeley and sister Margaret TYLER [3] born Gazeley.

1891 census...Aged 10, (recorded as born Gazeley) he was at Park Hall Cottages, Gazeley with his parents; half brothers Richard CLARKE [25] and Benjamin J CLARKE (both farm labourers born in Gazeley); brother Bertie E [7] born Herringswell; sister Margaret.

1901 census...Not positively identified, but could be with the Suffolk Regiment in Jersey. His parents were at Old Farm Cottages, Timworth with his half brother Richard (shepherd) and brother Bertie (farm labourer)

He married Ixworth born Jessie LOVICK [16-3-1889] in 1908 (Thingoe)

1911 census...Aged 29, a farm labourer, he was at Bullock's Farm, Hepworth nr Diss with his wife Jessie [22]; daughter Ella Mary [12-10-1908] and son David [19-9-1910]. Jessie and the children were born in Ixworth.

They had 2 more children Louisa [21-9-1913] and William [9-7-1915 died 8-8-1916]

On the pension card his widow and children were in Ixworth. She married Percy FOREMAN in 1919.



He enlisted in Ixworth.
During the 3rd week of January 1916 the miners were tunnelling in front of the Bluff and became aware that the Germans were counter-mining. On the night of the 21/22nd January 1916 there was a terrific explosion carrying away the SE front of the Bluff. No German counter attack followed and for a while no one was sure what had happened. Ammunition boxes had been hurled hundreds of yards, men in the trenches near the canal were buried several feet deep. The charge was estimated to have been in the order of six or seven tons of explosive and left a crater about 60 by 40 yards and 40 feet deep. Nearly 100 men were killed, buried alive or injured by the explosion.

CWGC figures put the deaths that day in the 2nd Suffolks as 44 and of them, 24 have no known grave.



William was found here, identified by his disc, and re-interred at Oosttaverne Wood in 1926


photo CWGC

William Tyler is buried in Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery, Belgium 8:D:221

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


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