William Allen
Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-
William was born on 5th November 1879 in Sunderland and his father died before he was eight years old. His mother Elizabeth married local tailor John Sedgwick in August 1887, and living at 23 Tatham Street, Bishopwearmouth at the time of the 1891 census the three children from her first marriage, William and his two sisters Elizabeth and Jane, had been joined by two year old John and new born Thomas. Ten years later they had moved to number 77, a larger house along the street, John Sedgwick was still working as a tailor but was losing his sight and Elizabeth was working from home as a dressmaker. William had a job as a bookmaker’s clerk and was joined at home by his sister Jane and three young stepbrothers.
In the autumn of 1902 William married Rebecca Elstob but she died, leaving William with a young son Leonard born in 1908. The next that is known of William is that he was living in Indianapolis, USA in 1918 working as a mechanic and he crossed the border to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Toronto, giving as his next of kin his 11-year-old son Leonard Johnston Allen, living with his grandmother Mrs Elizabeth Sedgwick in New Durham Road, Sunderland.
William became Private 3106609 in the 1st Depot Battalion, 2nd Central Ontario Regiment and by mid March was in England at East Sandling Camp where he was transferred to the 8th Reserve Battalion, and then on 19th August 1918 was posted overseas to France with the 116th Battalion and went straight onto the front line.
On the morning of 29th September 1918 during the Battle at Cambrai A and B Companies of the Battalion were caught under heavy machine gun fire coming from the enemy trenches in front of St Olle and Petit Fontain. These two Companies were practically wiped out. The Circumstance of Casualty report reads “Private Allen was instantly killed during an intense enemy machine gun barrage near the village of Petit Fontain in the attack on Cambrai”.
William’s War Service Gratuity was paid to, as quoted in official papers “Allen orphan child”, and Leonard also received his father’s pension and medals.
William Randolph Allen is remembered in Sunderland on S140.048 part 9 page 200
He is also remembered in Canada on their Virtual War Memorial and Book of Remembrance.
Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
The CWGC entry for Private Allen