Address: 43 Felton Street

Although his Birth Certificate gives his birth date as 13th May he always celebrated his birthday on the 31st May and in the 1939 Register he gives his birth date as 31 May 1896. His twin sister who was born half an hour before him also celebrated her birthday on the same day and said that they had always done so since she was a girl.

Address: Hoxton, London

His twin sister Alice was baptised immediately before him. As well as his parents his siblings Rebecca, Caroline, Thomas, Charles, Louisa and Harriet would have been at the service but the names of the God Parents (if any) are not known.

Address: Shoreditch

His mother registered his twin sister Alice's birth at the same time. As Will and Alice always celebrated their birthdays on 31 May (as opposed to the registered date of 13 May) it is thought that the Registrar had accidentally reversed the two figures. Her mother would not have noticed as she was illiterate (she signed the registration with her mark).

He was apprenticed at the age of 14 and apart from a break as a soldier during the first World War practised his trade until he had to give up because the dust affected his breathing, his lungs having been damaged by poison gas during the war. After giving up he occasionally upholstered items for the family. For example a large wing armchair and a set of four tub chairs for his sister Alice. He also did some work for St Paul's Cathedral where he worked as a guide after giving up upholstery as a full time occupation. Exactly when he gave up being s full time upholsterer is not known. His nephew Jack thought it was sometime prior to WW 2. However, the 1939 Register taken on 29 September 1939 give his occupation as an upholsterer.

Address: 112 Shaftsbury Street

In 1914 when World War I broke out he was 18. At the time there was great patriotic fever and young men rushed to join up. Young men who didn’t were usually given a white feather (mostly anonymously) by young girls. After receiving a white feather he enlisted in the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment whose headquarters was at Shoreditch which is where the family were living at the time. The record of his enlistment has not survived but the first regimental number (4205) recorded on his medal card was issued between 5th May 1915 when 4110 was allocated and 15th June 1915 when 4486 was allocated which means he enlisted sometime in May.

As his service record was destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 the time and place of his training in England and when he transferred to France are unknown.

He was transferred to the 56th London Division when it was reformed in January 1916 in France. It began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)

The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)

The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15-22 September)

The Battle of Morval (25-27 September) in which the Division captured Combles

The Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)

All these battles are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916 and after the battle of Le Transloy the battalion had been reduced to 275 all ranks. There followed months of light training and line-holding in the Neuve Chapelle sector while the units of 56th Division were slowly rebuilt. Despite further casualties while holding the line, 1/4th Londons attained a strength of 850 all ranks when it returned to active operations in March 1917.

Arras (March-May 1917)

Langemarck - Third Ypres Offensive (16 August 1917)

Cambrai (20 November)

Oppy Wood (28 March 1918)

The Hundred Days (summer - November 1918)

Demobilisation began in early 1919, and the battalion was reduced to a cadre of 50 men by mid-May. The cadre returned to England on 21 May and marched through London to Hoxton

During these battles the 56th suffered much attrition. e.g. by the opening of Cambrai it had been reduced to two effective platoons. To make up for the losses it was from time to time rebuilt but it seems inconceivable that anyone who was present at the formation of the 56th London Division in January 1916 (as William was) could have survived until November 1918.

It is known that William was gassed and invalided out. The Germans were the first to use chlorine gas as an offensive weapon. Initially our soldiers did not have gas masks and after the first attacks had had devastating results they were instructed to urinate on a cloth and tie it over their nose and mouth. This would have prevented or mitigated damage to their lungs but their eyes must have been serious affected. When he was gassed is not known as his service record was destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 but it was probably sometime in 1917.

He was invalided out after being gassed. Although he told his twin sister Alice about being gassed he would never talk about his other experiences. When his nephew Jack asked him he would say, “You don't want to hear about it,” or words to that effect and it wasn't until many years later when Jack read Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by the historian Ronald Blythe that he appreciated why his uncle didn't wish to talk about his experiences in the trenches.

One of the puzzles was that he was only awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal. He was not awarded either the 1914-18 Star which was issued to all (approximately 2,336,000) who saw service in any theatre of conflict between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, or the 1914 Star which was only awarded to members of the British Expeditionary Force. Was this an oversight? It would certainly appear so and in view of his attitude to the war he almost certainly had no interest in applying for it.

William is unemployed

William was the bride's uncle

Address: London

He got the job through the good offices of the vicar of the church he attended as a boy who had become a Minor Canon the cathedral. His favourite job was a guide in the Whispering Gallery. He was able to get tickets for national events held at the cathedral such as the service of thanksgiving held at the at the end of WW II which was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. His nephew Jack had an aisle seat for that service. He could also get a viewing position overlooking Ludgate Hill to see the Lord Mayor's Procession. During WW II his job was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the Underground. However. he maintained his connection with St Paul's by fire watching duty and he helped to put out an incendiary bomb which came through the roof.

In 1939 or 1940 his work as a guide at St Paul's Cathedral was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the London Underground. His first job was to man the flood gates where the Northern Line went through a tunnel under the River Thames. He had to close the gates if the tunnel was damaged during an air raid to prevent the Northern Line being flooded. Later he became a ticket collector and after that a ticket inspector before returning to his job as a guide at St Paul's.

Will was Alice's twin brother.

Cause: a cerebral haemorrhage

Address: Flat 26 Charman House, Hemans Street

He died alone and his body was not found until 25 June 1968. It is not known whether he was missed when he failed to turn up for work for several days (he was a bookstall attendant at St Paul's Cathedral) or his neighbour noticed that she had not seen him for several days. In any case the police were informed and broke into his flat. His twin sister Alice who was his nearest relative was informed and she travelled with her husband Will from Worthing where she was living almost certainly by train to London to sort out his possessions. The only thing she wished to retain were his clocks and probably arranged for a house clearance firm to clear out the flat. She found that the Westminster chime wall clock had been taken by his neighbour and the Cathedral official who was his boss and is though to have registered William's death wanted his French four light mantel clock which was almost certainly his most valuable possession. However, Alice took both of them back to Worthing in her basket on wheels.

Address: 26 Charman House, Lambeth S.W.8

His estate was worth £1,123. Who applied for probate and the beneficiaries are not given in the entry in the Probate Register. However, it was almost certainly his twin sister Alice Ward to whom he was very close.