No.G/79193, Lance Corporal, William Frank GREEN
Aged 18
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William Frank GREEN was born in Sudbury (Sudbury Q1-1900 4A:887), son of Edward Coote and Ada Rhoda GREEN (née CLARKE). 1901 census...Aged 1, he was at 49 North Street, Sudbury with his father Edward C GREEN [36] stone and marble mason, born Haverhill; his mother Ada R [38] born Glemsford, Suffolk; brothers Edward M [9] and Ransome C [7] both born Louth, Lincolnshire; sisters Lilian B [5] and Ada D[2], both born in Sudbury. 1911 census...Aged 11, he was at 19 Alexandra Road, Grimsby with his parents; brothers Edward Marriott (clerk/cashier), Ransome Coote (student teacher) and Robert Percy [8] born Sudbury; sisters Lilian Bertha and Ada Dorothy. At this time it is not known when they moved to 59 High Street, Haverhill, but the pension card has them still there |
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He enlisted in Ipswich
The war diary for September 1918 has not yet been found, but since he was found just west of Epehy in a temporary grave, that must have been quite close to the action. CWGC record 98 of the battalion killed, 82 of them buried in Epehy Wood Farm Cemetery now. His death was noted in the South West Suffolk Echo on 15th October 1918:- " Mr. and Mrs.E.C.Green of 59 High Street, Haverhill, have received official notice, this (Friday) morning that their son, Lance Corpl. William Frank Green, of the Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action in the field on September 21st. Deceased, who was only 19 years of age, joined up on February 28th last, and had been in France since early August. Prior to enlistment he assisted his father, who carries on a business of a stone mason." and in the South West Suffolk Echo on 16th November 1918:- "A short time ago we recorded the fact that Lance Corpl. W.Frank Green,of the Royal Fusiliers had been killed n action. Since then his brother, Major Coote Green, who is in command of a squadron at Hastings, has been endeavouring to gain further particulars, with the following result:- "I am in receipt of your letter re your brother, Lance Corpl. Green of my Company. He was killed by a machine gin bullet during an attack on a farm near Epehy on the 21st September. As N.C.O. he was excellent, and was doing very good work when he met his death. We cannot afford to lose good N.C.O's at the present time, so his loss is not only felt by his Platoon but by the whole Company. He is buried in Dullah ( Deelish) Valley Cemetery, which is about a thousand yards east of Epehy He was found as shown below and re-interred in Epehy Wood Farm Cemetery in August 1919 |
Right: William (standing) with Bert Newman (seated front) and Bert Wallis (perched). All joined the Royal Fusiliers.
photo :from Haverhill Family History Society
photo : Rodney Gibson
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details