Pte
William Henry Westlake Abbott
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1890 |
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Place of birth: Tollesbury, Essex, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: East Ham, Essex, England, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: Verenigd Koninkrijk |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 352787 |
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Enlistment place: East Ham, Essex, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — London Regiment, 2nd/7th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 20/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Von Tirpitz Farm, Sint-Juliaan, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 27 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XX Row: A Grave: 19 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
William Henry Westlake Abbott was the son of Mary Ann and Abraham Abbott. He was born around 1890 in Tollesbury, in Maldon, Essex. William enlisted in the British Army. He served in the 2/7th (City of London) Battalion London Regiment (174th Brigade, 58th (2/1st London) Division).
William was killed on 20 September 1917 during the Battle of Menin Road Ridge, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 174th Brigade was near St. Julian's that day and attacked towards Wurst Farm. The brigade attacked with the 2/8th Battalion, 2/5th Battalion and the 2/6th Battalion London Regiment. The 2/8th Battalion London Regiment was the first to take out the fortified positions near Vancouver Farm and Keerselare. Resistance followed from Hübner Farm. That position was also taken, as was Dimple Trench. Finally, Cluster Farm, Olive House and Clifton House were also taken. The 2/7th Battalion London Regiment was in reserve during that attack and had to support the battalions in case of a counter-attack. The 2/7th Battalion London Regiment was deployed at around 10.30 am to reinforce the 2/5th Battalion in a counter-attack in the area of Hübner Farm and the Stroppe Farm – Von Tirpitz Farm line. At around 6.30 pm the battalion also provided reinforcements in the area of Von Tirpitz.
The 2/7th Battalion suffered 114 casualties during this attack: 5 missing, 88 wounded and 21 killed. Among the latter was 27-year-old William Henry Westlake Abbott. He is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery (Plot XX, Row A, Grave 19).
William was killed on 20 September 1917 during the Battle of Menin Road Ridge, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 174th Brigade was near St. Julian's that day and attacked towards Wurst Farm. The brigade attacked with the 2/8th Battalion, 2/5th Battalion and the 2/6th Battalion London Regiment. The 2/8th Battalion London Regiment was the first to take out the fortified positions near Vancouver Farm and Keerselare. Resistance followed from Hübner Farm. That position was also taken, as was Dimple Trench. Finally, Cluster Farm, Olive House and Clifton House were also taken. The 2/7th Battalion London Regiment was in reserve during that attack and had to support the battalions in case of a counter-attack. The 2/7th Battalion London Regiment was deployed at around 10.30 am to reinforce the 2/5th Battalion in a counter-attack in the area of Hübner Farm and the Stroppe Farm – Von Tirpitz Farm line. At around 6.30 pm the battalion also provided reinforcements in the area of Von Tirpitz.
The 2/7th Battalion suffered 114 casualties during this attack: 5 missing, 88 wounded and 21 killed. Among the latter was 27-year-old William Henry Westlake Abbott. He is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery (Plot XX, Row A, Grave 19).
Sources 3
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2/7 Battalion London Regiment, (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/3005/8). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7355113 Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), 85. Sources used |
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Soldier's Effects records (National Army Museum, Chelsea (NAM) 1901-60; NAM Accesion Number: 1991-02-333). https://www.nam.ac.uk/ Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461701 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=de902695-5168-483b-b3d9-6272993229da |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3234 |