Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-
Born in Stella, part of Blaydon on the River Tyne, on 19th August 1883 and baptised a month later in St. Cuthbert’s Church, William was one of the seven children, three boys, himself, Joseph and George, and four girls, Sarah, Eveline, Margaret and Beatrice, of steam engine fitter Robert Chilton and his wife Hannah Marshall. Sarah, his oldest sister was born in 1872 and Beatrice the youngest in 1889. By 1901 William was an apprentice steam engine fitter and was still living with his parents, older brother Joseph and three of his sisters. In 1903 William married Joanna Hope Watson in Gateshead and their daughter Wilhelmina was born in 1904 and Francis George the following year.
Even before the birth of his son William had emigrated to Canada, arriving in Quebec on board the SS Sicilian in June 1904, and spending the next three years in Nova Scotia. In August 1907 he crossed into the USA and joined the Army in Ohio, but was listed as a deserted in April of the following year, and returned to Canada.
On 5th June 1909 William joined the Royal Canadian Engineers as Sapper 463 using the name William Nelson, and even though he had a record of drunkenness, absence and disobedience he remained with the engineers until he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Ottawa on 12th August 1915. He again enlisted as William Nelson and became Sapper 711. He even gave his father as his next of kin, citing his name as Robert Nelson, but with the correct address in Blaydon, and his separation allowance was payable to his youngest sister. It wasn’t until March 1918 that he signed a statutory declaration that his name was actually William Douglas Chilton, and he also informed the authorities that he had a wife in England.
Returning to England in September 1915 he was posted to the Canadian Engineers Training Depot at Shorncliffe, before going to France with the 2nd Canadian Divisional Engineers, where he was almost immediately hospitalised with an ulcerated leg. Rejoining his unit on 10th February, nine days later he received a shrapnel wound in his thigh and was out of action for another two weeks, and in March 1917 he was in no.7 Canadian General Hospital in Etaples with a shot gun wound to his head.
Authority for the formation of a Canadian Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Company was granted in June 1918 and William who had successfully been interviewed was transferred to the unit. The unit remained in existence until the end of February 1919, but instead of returning to England William was in hospital in Honfleur. Initially diagnosed with severe influenza, by 9th March he was dangerously ill with broncho pneumonia from which he died on 12th March 1919. William is buried in a war grave at Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre.
William Douglas Chilton is remembered in Blaydon on B111.01 and B111.14
He is also remembered in Canada in the Book of Remembrance and on the Virtual War Memorial.
Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
The CWGC entry for Sapper Chilton