Lieutenant, William SHAW [M.i.D]
Aged 23
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William Shaw was born in Soham on 5th June 1893 ( Newmarket Q3-1893 3B:507), baptised in Soham on 30th June 1893, son of William and Alice Mary
SHAW (née TURNER) of Hall Street, Soham. His father appears to have died in 1894.
1901 census...Aged 7, he was at 2 Portugal Place, Cambridge with his widowed mother Alice Mary Shaw [33] born Soham. In 1902 he was admitted to Cambridge Paradise Street School. 1911 census...Aged 17, an apprentice organ builder, he was at 6 Park Street, Cambridge with his mother and aunt Lucy Mary TURNER [30] born Soham. CWGC card regarding wording on the headstone refers to 'Mr' A Shaw of 2 Tanner's Lane, Soham (presumably a transcription error for 'Mrs'). It is not known currently when they moved back to Soham. |
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He enlisted in Cambridge. He was Mentioned in Despatches.
The war diary for 16th September is quite comprehensive :- "HAMEL - 16th Sept. Our artillery during the day was almost entirely restricted to the operation and demonstration of the Bde S of the ANCRE although at times the trenches on the N were heavily shelled. Our own line only lightly shelled during the day. In the evening we had two [?] demonstrations. The first on the enemy's front from the NE of GORDON TRENCH. [scribbled out references to raids and then] The first was undertaken by "C" Coy (Capt MARR) who was holding the right frontage & being relived by 2 platoons from "D" Coy in support in HAMEL. The Coy assemble behind ROBERTS TRENCH below the bank. On reaching the wire it was found the gap reported by the artillery to have been cut was NOT cut and the raiders were forced [?]. The Bosche trenches were strongly garrisoned but had the wind up badly as he fired stright up into the air. The Coy re-assembled behind ROBERTS TRENCH and waited till the barrage had stopped. There were a few casualties one officer, 2nd Lt Allen [?] missing & 8 O ranks wounded. The idea had been to enter the enemy trenched, kill Germans and obtain identification. The other enterprise was from the mill in the valley of the ANCRE. The idea was to cut off and take prisoner or kill the Germans in the post at the shanty. The party was led by Captain ADAM with Lt. SHAW. Lt BRADFORD was in support with a L.G. (Lewis gun). Captain BUTLIN watching operation from the MILL. The enemy was ready, probably expecting something after our patrols in this direction. A lively exchange of bombs and rifle fire took place in which several Bosches were known to have been accounted for. Captain ADAM then withdrew. Hearing that a wounded man had been left behind, he returned with Lt SHAW and unfortunately both were hit. Capt Sir Guy BUTLIN finding the raid had returned without the officers went out with Lt BRADFORD to see what had happened. Finding both officers lying out in front of the post Capt BUTLIN ordered Lt BRADFORD back to bring assistance & remained with his orderly. Eventually a stretcher was brought up and finding Capt ADAM was not so badly hit as Lt. SHAW, so Capt BUTLIN attended first to his wounds and got him on a stretcher when he and one of the bearers were hit. The bearer was able to get away and Capt Butlin ordered the other man back to get further assistance. Lt BRADFORD made repeated efforts to get to the place but unfortunately all three officers were in a very exposed position and the Bosche were thoroughly alert & had a M.G. trained on the spot. Several other attempts were made & finally in daylight Lt BRADFORD made another attempt round through the [?] but found it impossible. Casualties 3 officers wounded and missing, Capts BUTLIN and ADAM & Lt SHAW & two OR wounded. Captain Adam was later exhumed and buried in Achiet le Grande, he was a Cambridge man, son of a Fellow at Emmanuel. Lt. William SHAW was wounded and captured by the Germans, date of birth given as 5/6/1893, of Hillside Soham, On capture he was "schusveretzung - etappe" (bullet wound, found by rear echelon) transferred from 1. Res. Field Hospital at Beaumetz to War Hospital 6 at Cambrai on 21st September 1916. Previously recorded as shot in the upper leg, (vorhergehend oberschkl.schuss.) his death was recorded as a result of a shot through the lung (infolge lungendurchschuss). He died at N6 War Hospital, Cambrai and was buried in the cemetery at Porte de Paris , grave 1103, and seemingly moved to Cambrai Military Cemetery E grave 49. After the war the British were moved to two central plots either side of the local war memorial
also honoured on Cambridge St. Giles; Cambridge All Saints, Cambridge St Mary the Less and Cambridge County High School Rolls of Honour click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details
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