Cpl 106108 William Alexander Unsworth

William Alexander was born on the 01st March 1880 at 35 Smithdown Road, Liverpool to Liverpool born housepainter, Thomas Unsworth and his Liverpool born wife Hannah Margaret (nee Kenyon). They married on the 15th August 1875 in Liverpool and had six children, three boys and three girls. William was baptised on the 07th April 1880 at St Stephen the Martyr's Church, West Derby. 

 

On 1881 Census, William aged 1, is still living at 35 Smithdown Road with his parents and siblings. His father, Thomas, is 27 years of age and his mother, Hannah Margaret, is 28 years old. His sister Alina Ellen is aged 4 and his brother Robert Guy is aged 2.

 

On the 25th February 1888 his father, Thomas, died aged 34, of painters colic (lead poisoning).

 

On 1891 Census his widowed mother, shown as, Anna M. is aged 39 and is the head of the household. The family live at 22 Elm Grove, West Derby. William is aged aged 11 and he has three siblings, Robert aged 12, Gertrude aged 8 and John aged 3. Also declared is his grandfather, William Kenyon a 64 year old engine fitter  and his second wife Sarah Ann (nee Spratt) aged 45.

 

On the 26th February 1898 when aged 18, William enlisted as Private 5498 into the South Lancashire Regiment. He served for 2 years and 5 days in the U.K. before he was sent to South Africa on the 03rd March 1900, for 3 years fighting in the Boer War where he was involved in the Relief of Ladysmith.

 

On 22 January 1903 he was sent to India for a further 3 years and 75 days until April 1906 when he was posted to the U.K. for another 3 years.

 

On the 04 June 1906 he married Emma Devonport at St Philip's Church, Liverpool.   

 

In 1907  their daughter Doris was born.

 

In 1909 their son, William John was born. William John sadly died in 1910.

 

On 25 February 1910 William was discharged from the army and he became an electrical car conductor

 

In 1910 his third child, George Eric was born. 

 

At the time of the 1911 Census, William is living with his family at at 23 Tagus Street, Lodge Lane, Liverpool. He is now aged 31, and still employed as an electric car conductor for Liverpool Corporation. He lives with his wife Emma, also aged 31. They advised that they had been married for four years and have had three children, two of whom have survived. Doris is aged 3 and George aged 1. Also declared in the household is his widowed mother, listed as Margaret Unsworth, now aged 56.

 

In 1911 a fourth child, his son Francis Alexander was born.

 

In 1913 his fifth child was born, a daughter, Emma Lilian.

 

In 1914 his sixth child was born another son, John Arthur. 

 

On 14th December 1914, whilst living at 32 Lime Grove, Lodge Lane, Liverpool, William enlisted, joining the 20th (Pals) Battalion as Private 23988.

 

His service record does not show what date he served in France from. However, he was wounded at Guillemont on 30th July 1916 and was admitted to 4 General Hospital on 31st July 1916 with GSW to his shoulder and shell shock. He was then transferred to Etaples on 12th August and on to Wimereux on 19th August 1916.There is no report of him being repatriated to the UK and the next entry shows that on 06th December 1916 he was discharged to Base Depot at Etaples.

 

He was admitted to 24 General Hospital on 21st December 1916 with Bronchitis.

 

Further hospitalisation occurred when he was admitted to 3 General Hospital at Le Treport with a disease of unknown origin on 24th May 1917. 

 

On 09th July 1917 he was admitted to 16 General Hospital at Le Treport with mild German Measles. 

 

He was transferred on the 31st August 1917 to the Royal Flying Corps (later to become the Royal Air Force) as Corporal 106108 into the 19th Kite Balloon Unit.

 

His pension record shows that another child, Elsie May was born on 12th May 1918. 

 

On 18 July 1918, William died of Bronchitis and Influenza contracted on active service. He was 38 years of age. 

 

He now rests at Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension. 

 

For much of the First World War, Abbeville was headquarters of the Commonwealth lines of communication and No.3 BRCS, No.5 and No.2 Stationary Hospitals were stationed there variously from October 1914 to January 1920. The communal cemetery was used for burials from November 1914 to September 1916, the earliest being made among the French military graves. The extension was begun in September 1916. During the early part of the Second World War, Abbeville was a major operational aerodrome, but the town fell to the Germans at the end of May 1940. On 4 June, an attempt was made by the 51st Division, in conjunction with the French, to break the German bridgehead, but without success. Towards the end of 1943, eight large ski shaped buildings appeared near Abbeville. These proved to be storage units for flying bomb components an they were heavily bombed by Commonwealth air forces. Abbeville was retaken on 4 September 1944 by Canadian and Polish units. Abbeville Communal Cemetery contains 774 Commonwealth burials of First World War and 30 from the Second. The Extension contains 1,754 First World War burials and 348 from the Second. The Commonwealth sections of both cemetery and extension were designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

 

His soldiers effects pay arrears shows £20: 19s: 8d was sent to his widow, Emma, on the 01st February 1919 and followed by a War Gratuity based on his length of  service of £18 was paid in 1920. Her address at this time was 32 Palatine Street, West Derby, Liverpool.

 

A dependents pension was awarded to Emma and his six surviving children. 

 

His youngest daughter Elsie May died in 1921 following an accident in which she was scalded by boiling water.  

 

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