Born: 1898, West Bowling
Died: 26 August 1918
Buried:
Address: 40 Institute Road, Eccleshill
Parents: Benjamin and Pollie, nee Heaton
Spouse:
Siblings: Gladys, Lottie
Occupation: Hairdresser’s apprentice
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill, Park and St Luke’s; Vis en Artois Memorial
Children:
Regiment: Duke of Wellington’s
Victor Hillam
Victor Hillam was baptised at St
Stephen’s Church, West Bowling
on the 6th July 1898 the son of
butcher Benjamin Hillam and
Pollie, nee Heaton.
By 1901 the family were still living
in West Bowling at 117 Bismarck
Street and Benjamin was now
working as a time keeper in a
worsted mill.
They had three children, Gladys,
Victor and Lottie, who died at a
few months old.
In 1911 the family had moved to
Eccleshill living at 66 Mount
Avenue and Victor’s mother
appears to have changed her name
to Mary Ellen. Benjamin was
working as a printer’s
assistant and Victor was a
part timer, school in the
morning and then
working as a messenger
during the afternoon.
When Victor enlisted on
his 18th birthday he was
working as a hairdresser’s
apprentice and living at
40 Institute Road.
He became Private 25209 in the 9th
Battalion of the Duke of Wellington
(West Riding Regiment) on the
19th February 1917.
At the beginning of July 1917
Victor arrived at the front and was
engaged in the Third Battle of
Ypres or Passchendaele
from the 31st July to 19th
November.
Terrible weather soon
bogged it down and the
bad weather in October led
to the battlefield becoming
an impossible quagmire.
Victor contracted
pneumonia and was
hospitalised also suffering
from shell shock.
He returned to the front and lost his
life, killed in action on the 26th
August 1918, the first day of the
Battle of the Scarpe, also known as
the Second Battle of the Somme.
He was 20 years of age.
He is remembered at the Vis-en-
Artois Memorial which bears the
names of over 9000 men who fell
in the period from 8th of August
1918 to the date of the Armistice in
the Advance to Victory in Picardy
and Artois and who have no known
grave.
Victor left his effects to his mother
Mary Ellen who received £9.19.3d
on the 3rd of February 1919 and a
War Gratuity of £6.10s on the 5th
of December 1919.
.
Researched and written by Jean
Britteon, to whom many thanks