Gnr
William Oliver Selkirk
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1877 |
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Place of birth: Pelton, Durham, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: 9 Craven Street, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Profession: assistant schoolmaster |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Gunner |
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Service number: 138977 |
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Enlistment place: Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Garrison Artillery, 298th Siege Bty. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 10/08/1917 |
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Place of death: White Chateau, Ieper, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 40 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 9N |
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 Oliver Selkirk, a former assistant schoolmaster, was born in 1877 in Pelton, Durham, England. He was the son of Thomas and Jane Ann Henry. In 1902, he married Keturah Ann Hardy, with whom he had two children. Before the war, the couple lived at 9 Craven Street, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. He enlisted in Middlesbrough and served as a gunner in the 298th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, part of the 69th Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery.
The 298th Siege Battery landed at Le Havre on 3 April 1917 and moved by rail to Poperinge. By mid-June 1917, the battery was near Snipers Barn, south of Voormezele. On 31 July 1917, a section of the battery advanced to a new position on the southern bank of the Ypres-Comines canal, about 500 metres north-west of White Chateau. On 10 August 1917, the forward section was heavily shelled, destroying a gun and causing casualties. A shell hit a dugout and killed five of the occupants.
William Oliver Selkirk, 41, was killed in action on August 10, 1917. He was one of the occupants of the dugout. The other men killed were George Thorpe, Lionel Charles Burnett, Thomas Henry Holloway and Charles Frederick Browning (Royal Flying Corps). The remains of these men were not recovered or identified after the war. Gunner Selkirk is commemorated on the Menin Gate, panel 9N.
The 298th Siege Battery landed at Le Havre on 3 April 1917 and moved by rail to Poperinge. By mid-June 1917, the battery was near Snipers Barn, south of Voormezele. On 31 July 1917, a section of the battery advanced to a new position on the southern bank of the Ypres-Comines canal, about 500 metres north-west of White Chateau. On 10 August 1917, the forward section was heavily shelled, destroying a gun and causing casualties. A shell hit a dugout and killed five of the occupants.
William Oliver Selkirk, 41, was killed in action on August 10, 1917. He was one of the occupants of the dugout. The other men killed were George Thorpe, Lionel Charles Burnett, Thomas Henry Holloway and Charles Frederick Browning (Royal Flying Corps). The remains of these men were not recovered or identified after the war. Gunner Selkirk is commemorated on the Menin Gate, panel 9N.
Sources 3
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298 Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 95/305/3). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Army Troops. 69 Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 95/474/7). 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 |
More information 3
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3956893 |
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/916217 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=13c7c481-b530-4db4-934f-b31b56540a18 |