Born: 1894, Bradford
Died: 10 February 1917
Buried: No known grave
Address: 2 Boundary Place, Undercliffe
Parents: Joseph and Harriet, nee Trett
Spouse: Bertha, nee Parkinson
Siblings: Six
Occupation: Croft and Perkins, engineers
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: L Cpl
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill, Park & St Luke’s; Thiepval Memorial
Children: Richard
Regiment: Northumberland Fusiliers
William Henry Rhodes
William Henry Rhodes. named for
his grandfather, was born in
Bradford in 1894 the son of Joseph
and Alice Harriet, nee Trett.
In 1901 the family were living at 5a
Grant Street. Five children had
been born.
By 1911 the family had moved to
51 Oxford Road, Undercliffe and
two more children had been born.
Joseph was now an employer of
wire workers including 17 year old
William.
On the 11th September 1915 at St
Luke’s Church, Eccleshill, William
married Bertha Parkinson.
William was 21 years of age and
gave his occupation as a pultrey
painter living at 51 Oxford Road.
Bertha was 22 years of
age living at 2 Boundary
Place, Eccleshill and the
daughter of Charles
Chappell Parkinson, a
fancy goods maker.
William and Bertha went
to live with Bertha’s
parents where their son
Richard was born later
that year.
William then enlisted in
October 1915 as Private 40464 in
the 16th Battalion of the
Northumberland Fusiliers.
The Battalion landed at Boulogne
on the 22nd November 1915 and
remained on the Western Front for
the remainder of the War.
It is likely that William
joined his Battalion
before the Somme
offensive which was
involved in the Battle of
Albert, the Battle of
Bazentin and the Battle
of Ancre.
At some point during his
service William was
promoted to Lance
Corporal.
Their next commitment was during
the Operations on the Ancre from
the 11th of January to the 13th of
March 1917 and William was killed
in action on the first day of the
operation to capture Ten Tree Alley
on the 10th of February 1917. He
was 23 years of age.
He is remembered on the Thiepval
Memorial which records the names
of the men who fell on the Somme
battlefields and whose bodies were
never recovered for burial.
A report of his death which
appeared in the Shipley Times &
Express on 1 June 1917, added
“This pathetic news so affected his
wife that she passed away and was
buried on May 1st.” She was 24
years old.
Their son Richard was raised by his
maternal grandparents. William
had left his effects to his father-in-
law Charles Parkinson who
received £6.0.7d on the 6th July
1917 and a War Gratuity of £3.0.0d
on the 5th November 1919.
.
Researched and written by Jean
Britteon, to whom many thanks
