Born: 1885, Eccleshill
Died: 29 September 1918
Buried: Bellicourt British Cemetery
Address: 130 Idle Road, Eccleshill
Parents: Thomas and Ann Elizabeth, nee Schofield
Spouse: Hilda, nee Marshall
Siblings: Mary
Occupation: Wool merchant
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Gunner signaller
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill, Park and St Luke’s
Children: Arthur, Marjorie
Regiment: Royal Field Artillery
William Overend
William Overend was
born in 1885 in Eccleshill
the son of Thomas and
Ann Elizabeth, nee
Schofield.
Thomas, who was a
butcher, died on the 22nd
March 1893 aged 44
years and in his Will he
left £1288.5.11d to his
wife Ann in the care of
James Braithwaite, a
bookkeeper.
By 1901 Ann was living at 8
Wellington Road and William at 16
years of age was working as a post
office clerk.
William married Hilda
Marshall in Bradford in
1908 when she was 24
years of age.
His mother Ann died on
the 22nd of March 1909
and in her Will she left
£2447.10.2d to her son
William.
By 1911 William and
Hilda were living at 130
Idle Road and William
was a wool merchant (employer).
A son Arthur had been born in 1909
and a daughter Marjorie was born
in 1911.
William enlisted on the 6th of July
1916 as Gunner Signaller 201823
in the ‘C’ Battery of the 161st
Brigade of the Royal Field
Artillery.
His Brigade took part in many
WW1 battles and William survived
until the 29th of September 1918
when he was killed in action during
the battles of the Hindenburg Line,
12th September to the 2nd October
1918, which was a series of large
scale offensives to break the Line.
William was killed on the first day
of the Battle of St Quentin Canal
and he was 33 years of age.
He is buried at the Bellicourt
British Cemetery which was made
after the Battle of St Quentin Canal
when 73 dead were buried in what
is now Plot 1.
He left his effects to his widow
Hilda who received £5.19.7d on the
15th March 1919, £0.1.4d on the
24th of April 1919 and a War
Gratuity of £9.10.0d on the 9th
December 1919.
.
Researched and written by Jean
Britteon, to whom many thanks
