Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Winter was born 1887 the son of John Winter and his wife Anne, who was born at Tyne Dock, South Shields.
William enlisted at Gateshead, August 1914 and was firstly assigned as Private 4771 to the 1/9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, a Territorial Force and later to the 1/8th with a change of service number to 6792. Both battalions were initially posted to Boldon Colliery in early August 1914 then to Ravensworth Park and back to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The first draft from these battalion departed for the front, in France, April 1915, William was not amongst then, still too young to serve in a theatre of war. He was transferred to the 1/7th D.L.I. still a Private, serial number 302260 and later mobilised to the 20th (Service) Battalion (Wearside) of the new armies, moved to Aldershot they came under the orders of the 123rd Brigade, 41st Division and sent as part of the British Expeditionary Force to France, May 5th 1916. Landing at Le Havre, as part of reinforcements in preparation for the Battles of the Somme, however, it was not until the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, September 10th-22nd and Transloy October 1st-18th 1916 that the 41st Division saw front line action. Withdrawn from the front line until June 1917, after the Battle of Messines they were then moved into Belgium, involved in the Battle of Passchendaele on the Ypres salient which raged from July 31st-10th November 1917.
Wounded in Belgium, exact date and circumstances unknown, Private 302260 William Winter Durham Light Infantry, was evacuated from the front line fighting to the hospital and railway centre at Etaples for care and possible repatriation to the United Kingdom but died at the 26th General Hospital, Etaples, October 1st 1917. He was interred at Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, grave XXVII. D. 6.
William was only 20 years old and single. His father, Robert, received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, the death of his mother Anne having preceded that of her son. They were sent to 15, First Street, Heworth Colliery, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
William Winter is remembered at at Heworth on H92.03
