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William Douthwaite
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 04/05/1888 |
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Place of birth: Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: 25 Lambeth Road, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Profession: Stableman |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 40480 |
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Enlistment place: Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Lancashire Fusiliers, 1/6th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 06/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Pommern Castle & Redoubt, Saint-Julien, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 29 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: V Row: G Grave: 5 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
William Douthwaite was the son of William and Margret Douthwaite. He was born on 4 May 1888 in Liverpool, Lancashire. He worked as a stableman. William enlisted in the British Army and belonged to the 1/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers Regiment (125th Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division).
William fell on 6 September 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele. The 1/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers attacked positions near Beck House and Iberian that day. One company managed to take Beck House, while two other companies attacked Iberian Farm and came under machine-gun fire from the southern slopes of Hill 35. During a German counterattack, the newly taken position of Beck House was again lost and the battalion suffered heavy losses. In addition, the left flank was also exposed to shelling from Hill 35. The 1/6th Battalion had to retreat back to their original positions.
William died at the age of 29. After the war, his body was found near Pommern Castle. He was reburied in Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
William fell on 6 September 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele. The 1/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers attacked positions near Beck House and Iberian that day. One company managed to take Beck House, while two other companies attacked Iberian Farm and came under machine-gun fire from the southern slopes of Hill 35. During a German counterattack, the newly taken position of Beck House was again lost and the battalion suffered heavy losses. In addition, the left flank was also exposed to shelling from Hill 35. The 1/6th Battalion had to retreat back to their original positions.
William died at the age of 29. After the war, his body was found near Pommern Castle. He was reburied in Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 4
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1/6 Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2654/3). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Liverpool, England, Church of England Births and Baptism,1813-1919., 283 PET/2/88. https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), 72-73. Sources used |
More information 3
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=ed87fc56-1bdc-4c82-8aae-ffdb7d38e27e |
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/462602 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1682521 |