Pte 51539 William Campling Eley

• Age: 38
• From: Ryde, Isle of Wight
• Regiment: 21st Bn Manchester
• Died on Tuesday 6th November 1917
• Commemorated at: Kortrijk (st. Jan) Communal Cemetery
  Panel Ref: C.4

William Campling Eley was born in 1879 at Ryde, Isle of Wight, the son of James Eley and his wife Fanny Anne (nee Campling).

The 1881 Census finds the family living at 49 Union Street, Ryde. His father, James is a 48 year old saddler born in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, whilst his mother, Fanny, is 41 and gives her place of birth as the City of London. They live with their seven children who were all born in Ryde; Annie aged 18, Alice 15, James 13, Harriet M. 11, Marion F. 9, Margaret 3 and William aged 1. 

BY 1891 the family are still living at 49 Union Street, Ryde. James and Fanny Eley are living with their three children. Alice aged 25 is an assistant board schoolteacher, Marion F. aged 19 is an assistant dressmaker and William aged 11. His father James is a harness maker.

There is no trace of the family on further Census records.

William enlisted at Seaforth, Liverpool on 14th April 1916 just days before his 37th birthday. His records show that upon attestation he was 5'6 and a half inches tall, and was employed as a steward.

He sailed to Boulougne on 25th July 1916 arriving at Etaples the following day. He was initially placed with the 15th Battalion but was transferred to the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 38269 on 06th August 1916. 

William appears to have been a character given that he was punished for gambling in the Barrack Room and another for having 'dirty equipment'.

On 01st December 1916 he was wounded to the back and chest and after initial treatment returned to the UK on board HMS Formosa. He was treated from 21st December 1916 at Highfield House Hospital in Southampton. It appears after making a recovery that he was placed with Labour and reserve Battalions at home before he returned to France on 02nd July 1917. He transferred to the Manchester Regiment on 20th August 1917 as Private 51539. 

He died of wounds on 06th November 1917 aged 38 and is buried at Kortrijk St Jan Cemetary in Belgium at C4 where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"REST IN PEACE"

CWGC has his age as 39 but it appears that he was 38 years of age when he died of wounds.

Courtrai (now Kortrijk) was in German hands for most of the First World War. In April 1915, its railway junction was severely damaged by Allied airmen and on 16 October 1918, the town was entered by the 12th Royal Irish Rifles. St. Jean (now St. Jan) Cemetery was largely used and extended by the Germans, who erected a screen wall bearing the names of the dead by nationalities. (The German Extension is in the commune of Heule.) In November 1918, No.44 Casualty Clearing Station was posted at Kortrijk for a week, and it was followed for a period of eight months by No.62. These two units made a new plot in the south-west part of the cemetery, in which Commonwealth soldiers were buried. This plot was enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the German plots, the German extension and LA MADELEINE CEMETERY. There are now 221 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 11 of the burials are unidentified, and there are special memorials to more than 30 casualties who died in 1914-15 and were buried in the Germans plot but whose graves could not be found. 

William had been initially reported as Missing on 23rd November 1917 and on 25th November 1917 the Record Office at Preston received information from the Red Cross  that he was on an official German list. This listing reports the death of 51539 Pte William Campling Eley of 21st Manchester on 06th November 1917 in Kortrijk. According to the records, he died of wounds from shots to one arm and foot.

His death was reported in the Isle of Wight Times on 05th December 1917 under the header:

William is commemorated on the following Memorials:

All Saints Church, Ryde

Borough and District of Ryde War Memorial

County War Memorial, Carlsbrooke Castle 

He is also remembered on the family headstone situated at Ryde Old Cemetery Section M Plot 1867.

We currently have no further information on William Campling Ealy. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.