No.8436, Private, William STEVENS
Aged 22
|
William Samuel Stevens was born in Bottisham in 1893 (Newmarket Q2-1893 3B:534), baptised in Bottisham on on 2nd April 1893), son of James
Cornwell and Azuba STEVENS (née ISAACSON).
1901 census...Aged 8, he was in Main Street, Bottisham with his father James STEVENS [45] journeyman blacksmith born Bottisham and his mother Azuba [46] born Swaffham Bulbeck. He had siblings, not with him for the census; sisters Sarah Elizabeth (1882-19450, Emma Annie (1886-1966) and Eunice Mary (1888- ) and a brother Robert James (1884-1891) 1911 census...Aged 18, single, a farm labourer, he was at Lode Road, Bottisham with his parents |
|
He enlisted in Bury St. Edmunds.
At dawn on the 8th May 1915 the 1st Battalion were greeted by a heavy barrage of shells as the Ypres Salient burst into flames again. About 10 o'clock a determined attack was launched against the point in the salient and the Battle of Frenzenberg Ridge was well under way. High explosive shells rained down, machine gun fire swept the land and clouds of poison gas floated through the British lines, men reeling back choking and blinded. All communications by wire had been cut for up to two miles behind the lines and getting in touch with higher authority was almost an impossibility. The only roads up to the salient ran through Ypres itself, now enveloped in flames. Supply companies, unable to get through, had to dump their supplies as near as possible to the support trenches and hope for the best. For days the Battalion had struggled, most of the senior offices had become casualties, HQ had been destroyed and the full flood of the attack had swept over them. By noon the battalion had been completely overwhelmed. The casualties on May 8th exceeded 400. When the remnant collected in Balloon Wood the following day to greet a draft from Felxistowe, the re-inforcements were met by Lts Venning and Hoggan and QM Godbolt and 27 survivors from the trenches. Of the 94 dead of the 1st Battalion that day, not one has a known grave, the Menin Gate in Ypres being their Memorial.
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
