De Ruvigny Roll of Honour Vol. 4 page 14
Photo : B. Chandler
Berwickshire News Tuesday 16/12/1913
Berwickshire News Friday 12/12/1919
Berwick News Tuesday 21/12/1915
In Tweedmouth Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:
In
Loving memory of
William John
Black,
Pharmacist, Tweedmouth
fifth beloved son of
George & Margt. Black
born 11th Jany. 1880
Volunteered & enlisted
as a private in the
24th Royal Fusiliers
London Regt., went to
France in Novr. 1915,
Killed in action at the
Battle of Cambrai
30th Novr. 1917
Aged 37 years.
Buried in an unknown
grave somewhere in
France.
William John Black was born on the 11th January 1880 at 164 High Street, Tweedmouth, Berwickshire the son of George Black [born 1843, a Boiler Manufacturer] and his wife Margaret [born Gateshead, 1843], (Margaretville, Tweedmouth, Berwick on Tweed).
In 1881, William was residing at 164 High Street, Tweedmouth, Berwick-on-Tweed with 5 other siblings, Helen, born 1867, George, born 1869, Richard, born 1874, Thompson, born 1877 and Margaret, born 1878. There were nine children in all.
In 1891, the family were still at Tweedmouth and in 1901, William is a pharmaceutical Student at 24 Montgomery Street Edinburgh.
In 1911, the family had moved to 142 Main Street, Tweedmouth, his brother Richard was a draper, William by this time had qualified as a Pharmacist from the Edinburgh School of Pharmacy.
He was educated at the Berwick British School, then Berwick Academy before finishing up at the Edinburgh School of Pharmacy. He was a Chemist and Druggist and was a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He was well known in the town of Tweedmouth.
He enlisted in the 24th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers on the 16th April 1915 and served in France and Flanders from November 1915.
William had sent a donation to the Berwick News 'Smokes Fund' for the troops fund in December 1915, with a short letter.
He was attached to the 9th Battalion where he was killed in action near Cambrai on the 30th November 1917.
An officer had written He died a hero, fighting the onrushing foe, and another He soon proved brave and fearless. William Black was a member of the Berwick Rowing Club and of the Berwick Golf Club.
De Ruvigny Roll of Honour
William John Black is remembered at Berwick on B25.01, B25.14, B25.32, B25.46 and Tweedmouth on T31.01
