2nd Lt
William Dalton Columbo Sharp
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 17/04/1882 |
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Place of birth: Columbo, Merchant Marine, English Channel, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Accountant |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Second Lieutenant |
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Service number: / |
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Units: — Norfolk Regiment, 1st Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 09/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Polderhoek Château, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 35 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 34 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal — 17/03/1922 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 17/03/1922 |
Points of interest 1
| #1 | Place of birth |
My story
William was born at sea in April 1882 on the merchant ship Columbo, hence his name. His older sister Annie was also born on the Columbo; as was his younger brother Robert. William’s father Johnstone Sharp was the Sea Captain of the ship. By 1901 his father had retired and the family had moved to Carlisle, Cumberland. After his studies William moved to Fulham, where he started working as a Chartered accountant. He probably enlisted in London and by 1917 William served as a Second Lieutenant in the Norfolk Regiment 1st Battalion, part of the 15th Brigade, of the 5th Division.
William’s Battalion fought in the Battle of Poelcapelle, a phase in the Battle of Passchendaele. The 5th Division was to attack the heights at Polderhoek Château with the 1st Norfolks and the 16th Warwicks. Conditions in the frontline at the hamlet of Polderhoek were awful. The men had been subjected to wet and cold weather in the days before the attack. On top of the bad weather the Norfolks were in full view of the German positions and they were shelled on a daily bases. Without hot food or shelter the Norfolks waited for the sign to attack. On 9 October 1917 at 5.20 a.m. the 1st Norfolks finally advanced on the stronghold at Polderhoek Château. However the British attack was quickly checked by Machine-gun and rifle fire. Persistent crossfire and German bombing parties on their flanks forced the Norfolks back to their original positions.
The 1st Norfolks suffered heavy casualties during their time in the Polderhoek area. Around ten officers were put out of action. 38 men were killed, 144 men were wounded and 112 men went missing. Second Lieutenant William Dalton Columbo Sharp was one of the manifold Norfolk’s casualties. He was killed in action during the attack on Polderhoek Château. The 35-year old has no known grave on panel 34 of the Tyne Cot Memorial.
William’s Battalion fought in the Battle of Poelcapelle, a phase in the Battle of Passchendaele. The 5th Division was to attack the heights at Polderhoek Château with the 1st Norfolks and the 16th Warwicks. Conditions in the frontline at the hamlet of Polderhoek were awful. The men had been subjected to wet and cold weather in the days before the attack. On top of the bad weather the Norfolks were in full view of the German positions and they were shelled on a daily bases. Without hot food or shelter the Norfolks waited for the sign to attack. On 9 October 1917 at 5.20 a.m. the 1st Norfolks finally advanced on the stronghold at Polderhoek Château. However the British attack was quickly checked by Machine-gun and rifle fire. Persistent crossfire and German bombing parties on their flanks forced the Norfolks back to their original positions.
The 1st Norfolks suffered heavy casualties during their time in the Polderhoek area. Around ten officers were put out of action. 38 men were killed, 144 men were wounded and 112 men went missing. Second Lieutenant William Dalton Columbo Sharp was one of the manifold Norfolk’s casualties. He was killed in action during the attack on Polderhoek Château. The 35-year old has no known grave on panel 34 of the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Sources 6
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"Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Uniform, 2018, pg. 118. Sources used |
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Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/ Further reference |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/829154/sharp,-william-dalton/ Sources used |
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The Long, Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources used |
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Trinity School War Memorial https://www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk/warmemorials/william-dalton-columbo-sharp/ Sources used |
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War Diary Norfolk Regiment, 1st Bn. http://www.nmarchive.com/ Further reference |