Cpl
William Hamer
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1894 |
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Place of birth: Tottington, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: 9 Marsden Street, Bury, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Profession: Furniture dealer's assistent |
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Religion: Methodist |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Corporal |
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Service number: 202136 |
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Enlistment place: Bury, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Lancashire Fusiliers, 2/5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 20/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Hindu Cottage, Saint-Julien, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 23 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: VI Row: C Grave: 2 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
William Hamer was born around 1894 in Tottington, Lancashire. He was the son of Edward and Lydia Hamer. Before the war, he lived in Bury, Lancashire, and worked as a furniture dealer’s assistant. On 16 November 1915, he married Amy Taylor. After the outbreak of the First World War, he enlisted in Bury, Lancashire, and was assigned to the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (164th Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division).
William was killed in action on 20 September 1917 during the Battle of the Menin Road, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. On the evening of 14 September 1917, the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers arrived in the vicinity of Ieper. Until 17 September, the battalion remained in the rear areas before departing in the evening towards the front line south of Sint-Juliaan. On 19 September, the attacking companies were moved to their starting positions northwest of Hindu Cottage. The attack on 20 September was to be carried out in four waves. The first two waves each consisted of two platoons from “C” and “D” Company. Their objective was the capture of Schüler Galleries and Cross Cottages. The third and fourth waves each consisted of two platoons from “A” and “B” Company, with the objective of Green House, Road House, and several dug-outs along the present-day Zonnebekestraat.
At 5:40 a.m., the attack began. German troops at Schüler Galleries immediately opened machine-gun fire. The enemy fire was so intense that before Schüler Galleries were reached, 50% of the battalion became casualties. Eventually, Schüler Galleries were captured together with the 1/8th (Irish) Battalion, King's (Liverpool) Regiment. This battalion also came under heavy fire during their attack, and both battalions only succeeded in capturing Schüler Galleries after fierce fighting. After the capture of Schüler, elements of the 2nd/5th Battalion managed to take the remaining objectives, but were unable to hold them. At various moments between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., German counterattacks were launched, but these were repelled by artillery fire and machine-gun fire from Schüler Galleries. Around 5:00 p.m., the men of the 2nd/5th Battalion attempted another attack from Schüler Galleries, but this was repelled by enemy artillery fire. After this, the battalion undertook no further actions that day. The 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers suffered 347 casualties that day: 40 killed, 226 wounded, and 81 missing.
William Hamer was killed at the age of 23. After the war, his body was recovered near Hindu Cottages. His remains were reinterred at Tyne Cot Cemetery.
William was killed in action on 20 September 1917 during the Battle of the Menin Road, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. On the evening of 14 September 1917, the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers arrived in the vicinity of Ieper. Until 17 September, the battalion remained in the rear areas before departing in the evening towards the front line south of Sint-Juliaan. On 19 September, the attacking companies were moved to their starting positions northwest of Hindu Cottage. The attack on 20 September was to be carried out in four waves. The first two waves each consisted of two platoons from “C” and “D” Company. Their objective was the capture of Schüler Galleries and Cross Cottages. The third and fourth waves each consisted of two platoons from “A” and “B” Company, with the objective of Green House, Road House, and several dug-outs along the present-day Zonnebekestraat.
At 5:40 a.m., the attack began. German troops at Schüler Galleries immediately opened machine-gun fire. The enemy fire was so intense that before Schüler Galleries were reached, 50% of the battalion became casualties. Eventually, Schüler Galleries were captured together with the 1/8th (Irish) Battalion, King's (Liverpool) Regiment. This battalion also came under heavy fire during their attack, and both battalions only succeeded in capturing Schüler Galleries after fierce fighting. After the capture of Schüler, elements of the 2nd/5th Battalion managed to take the remaining objectives, but were unable to hold them. At various moments between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., German counterattacks were launched, but these were repelled by artillery fire and machine-gun fire from Schüler Galleries. Around 5:00 p.m., the men of the 2nd/5th Battalion attempted another attack from Schüler Galleries, but this was repelled by enemy artillery fire. After this, the battalion undertook no further actions that day. The 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers suffered 347 casualties that day: 40 killed, 226 wounded, and 81 missing.
William Hamer was killed at the age of 23. After the war, his body was recovered near Hindu Cottages. His remains were reinterred at Tyne Cot Cemetery.
Sources 5
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164 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2921/1). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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2/5 Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2923/2). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). https://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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Manchester, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1930 (Manchester City Council, MFPR 606). http://ancestry.com Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), p 84-85. Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/463033 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5279101 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=034e9cfd-798a-45e1-b492-d8d700493f9d |
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A Street Near You https://astreetnearyou.org/person/463033/ |