No.328069, Private, William DAY
Aged 32
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William Day was born in Lidgate ( Newmarket Q3-1885 3B:523), baptised St Mary, Lidgate on 27th April 1890, son of Charles and Harriet
DAY (née BALLS).
1891 census...Aged 5, he was at Church End, Bury Lane, Lidgate with his father Charles DAY [29] farm labourer; his mother Harriet [30]; brothers Ernest [3] and Walter [1]. Also cousin Frederick BALLS [10] and grandfather widower Henry BALLS [64] farm labourer. All of them were born in Lidgate. 1901 census...Aged 15, stock lad on farm, he was at Church Hill, Lidgate, with his parents and brothers Ernest (yard boy), Walter, Philip [7], Charles J. [4] and Arthur [2] and cousin Frederick BALLS (horsekeeper on farm). The new siblings were all born in Lidgate. 1911 census...Aged 25, a postman, he was "by the Church", Lidgate with his parents (father now horseman) and brother Walter (horseman on farm), Charles James stockman, and Arthur, scholar. One of the 7 children had died He married Alice PAWSEY in Bury St Edmunds Q3-1914. His younger brother Walter, in the Canadian Army, died in France in 1915 see here |
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He enlisted in Newmarket. Pre war the Cambridgeshire regiment was unique in that there was no regular battalion, it was purely a Territorial Force. The 1st Cambridgeshires were part of 118th Brigade in 39th Division up to May 1918. In February 1918 they had just moved down in to France. From the fact that just three died on the 4th of February, one the day before and none since the middle of January is seems they were not involved in any major action, probably in a support role.
Charles Amos is commemorated on the Newmarket memorial, William Day is on the Lidgate memorial Thomas Atherton is named on the Little Thurlow memorial photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission He is also commemorated on the Newmarket Post Office memorial plaque click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
