Thank you to Jim Edwards for this research.
He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the3rd Battalion, the Royal South Gloucestershire Militia in 1905. Militia soldiers underwent a period of full time training followed by weekends and annual camp. The battalionwas transferred to the Army Reserve as 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion of the Gloucester Regiment, during the reorganization of the reserve forces in 1908. The Special Reserve had a higher training commitment than the Territorials. William was transferred as a Second Lieutenant and immediately promoted to Lieutenant and then, in 1910, to Captain. He qualified as a musketry instructor.
He married Noelle Evelyn Campbell Stewart at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, West London on 18th October 1910. She had been born in 1881 in Bangalore, India, where her father was a General. In the 1911 census William and Noelle were recorded as living with his parents at the Brackens, Ascot. Their first child was born and baptised in South Holmwood on 7th July 1911 and the second in Cheltenham on 21st June 1913.
3rd April 1915 © Dorking Advertiser findmypast.co.uk
The reserves were called out on permanent service on 4th August at the start of the war and his battalion moved to Woolwich as a training battalion, providing replacements for the other battalions of the Gloucesters. William went to France on 3rd January 1915 and on 12th January he arrived with the 1st Battalion, which had been in France since early in the war. The Battalion was taking its turn in the trenches, with 2 companies at a time in the front line trenches and two in reserve. The War Diary describes conditions as very cold and wet. On 25th the bombardment commenced at 6.45am and the Germans put in an attack at 7.30am. They got into the British trenches, causing 40 casualties that day. William was killed at 7.35, trying to remove the Germans. At that time he was attached to D Company, 1st Battalion at La Basse and had been at the front for 13 days. He was buried in the Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy, Pas de Calais, by the Revd H Blackbone.
Noelle was living in Dorking at Inholms House, Stonebridge and on 14th July 1917 married Lt-Col Humfrey Hayes Kennedy
| Born | Kensington, London | |
| Lived | Horsham | |
| Son of | Mr. and Mrs. S. King George, of The Brackens, Ascot, Berks | |
| Husband of | Noelle Evelyn Campbell Stewart | |
| Regiment | “D” Company. 1st Battalion. Gloucestershire Regiment | |
| Date of Death | 25th January 1915 | |
| Place of Death | France | |
| Cause of Death | Killed in action | |
| Age | 33 | |
| Cemetery | Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy, Pas de Calais |
