GALE, William Jefford

William Jefford GALE
Killed by Enemy Action on 18th February 1941
Aged 48

William Jefferd GALE was born on 10th November 1892, in Plumstead (Woolwich Q4-1892 1D:1246) son of Walter John and Eleanor GALE (née WILLIAMS). 1901 census...Aged 8 he was at 43 Prince's Street, Rotherhithe with his father Walter J GALE [44] flour miller's foreman, bornWiltshire; his mother Eleanor [46] born South Wales; uncle Jeffrey [57] coach builder born Salisbury; brothers Walter J [9]born Plumstead, and George [6] born Rotherhithe; sisters Margaret E [3] and Harriet E [10 months] both born Rotherhithe. 1911 census...Aged 19 he appears to have been Driver William GALE in the Army Service Corps as a groom, at Woolwich. He married Ethel CLARK in 1913 in Guildford In the 1939 register, a head lad in stables, he was living at The Gem, Tobacconists Shop, Exning Road, (2 down from the Exning Road Working Mens Club. With him were his wife Ethel [18-3-1893]; daughters Constance E [19-7-1915] a telephonist (later Mrs CALLOW) and Margaret E [1-8-1922] typist (later Mrs BISETT). There are 2 closed records. Injured in the High Street, Newmarket, died the next day in White Lodge Emergency Hospital, Exning Road, Newmarket. No-one now can tell us why he was known as "Sloper" Gale. William is buried in Newmarket Cemetery, Ref: New Ground L:2 and is also commemorated on the Exning Road plaque, kept in the Exning Road Working Mens Club click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details BACK