Carole Fife has provided the following:
William was born in Houghton-le-Spring in 1882 to Daniel and Mary Matthews, but his mother died when he was a child. An article in the Blyth News of 09/11/1916 tells of his military career. “At the time of the outbreak of war he was a time expired soldier and worked at Bebside Colliery. He had been through the South African War for which he had a 4 bar medal, and when war was declared he volunteered for service and had been in action in Egypt and the Dardanelles, and latterly in France.” He enlisted in 8th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.
He is remembered in Bedlington Station on B163.04
