CLAYDON, William


No.4532, Private, William CLAYDON
Aged 23


1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment
Died of his Wounds on Friday, 22nd September 1916


William CLAYDON was born in Haverhill (Risbridge Q2-1893 4A:711), son of Warren Albert and Alma Radford CLAYDON (née PAGE). His parents married in 1876. By 1881 they had three children, Harry, Mary Ann and Albert. These were followed by Kate, Alice, George and May by 1891.

1901 census...Aged 8, William was at 46 Duddery Road, Haverhill with his father Warren CLAYDON [48] silk weaver born Sturmer; his mother Alma [45]; brothers Harry [24] bricklayer's labourer, George [12], Stanley [4] and Bert [1]; sisters Alice [14] and May [10]. All except his father were born in Haverhill.

1911 census...Aged 18 a fishmonger's journeyman, he was at 38 High Street, Haverhill with his parents (father now a jobbing gardener); sister Kate [28] a sacking machinist; brothers Stanley and nephew Bert (who seemingly was his brother in 1901 and whose parentage is not recorded). His mother had borne 11 children but lost 3 of them

In 1917, when Bert enlisted, the family address was 17 Hamlet Road, Haverhill, but CWGC have his mother at Endway, Steeple Bumpstead. Bert served from August 1917 to March 1920, first in the 5th Suffolks and then the Labour Corps

According to the report of his death, William left Haverhill and gone to Canada, but returned to UK to enlist when war broke out.

There are three Haverhill William Claydon that died in the war, but only two on the memorial. His brother Joseph Stanley was awarded the Military Medal, served in the Cambridgeshire Regiment and died of his wounds in France in 1917. see here



He enlisted in Cambridge. Dying of wounds in an advanced dressing station and not having his service record, it is not known exactly when or where he was wounded. Around that time the battalion were in the Hamel region. However it is very likely to have been the same day and quite close to the action. The war diary for the 21/22nd has:-
" Hamel - 21st - Bosche intermittently shelled our line today and also fired 6 aerial torpedoes. Damage slight. Our Stokes and medium batteries in action during the day. A patrol went out to examine ground obstacle from PECHE STREET at 8 pm and returned at 9:30 pm. They found plenty of shell holes for cover. A considerable amount of work in repairing trench and restoring fire bay.
22nd - Bosche artillery was searching for our light and medium TM (trench mortars) most of the morning. A patrol left CORNER POST to obtain information about enemy works on the MOUND. They missed the route and got held up by thick wire. No sign of life was heard from the MOUND. A good deal of work on forward trench again carried out, and fortification on the HILL."


CWGC figures have 1 man dying on 21st, and William and one other on 22nd.

The South West Suffolk Echo of 30th September 1916 reported:-
"Pte. Wm. Claydon, of the Cambridgeshire Regt. son of Mr. and Mrs. W.Claydon of 17 Hamlet Road, was killed at the front on Friday last. He was 23 years of age, and had been in the trenches for about eight weeks. He left Haverhill a few years ago and went to Canada where he lived until he enlisted.




William Claydon (son of Warren) is buried in Mesnil Communal Cemetery Extension, grave 2:C:7

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


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