Corporal William John Sorrell

Born in Wandsworth on 1 September 1896, William John Sorrell was baptised at St Andrews Church, Earlsfield on 31 January 1897. In 1901 aged 5, he lived with his parents John and Elizabeth, and his younger sister Elizabeth at 64 Bendon Valley, Wandsworth. His name was recorded as John W, instead of William John. His father was employed as a Carman, a driver of horse drawn vehicles used for transporting goods. Next door at 62 Bendon Valley was another family named Sorrell, William and Susannah with their children Alice, Arthur and another William aged 7. The two families were probably related, as No 62 was the address given when William John Sorrell was baptised.

William was registered as John Sorrell at Garratt Lane School, Swaffield Road, Wandsworth on 27 November 1900 aged four. On 22 August 1904 aged eight years old, when the family were living at 35 Winfrith Road, he was registered again at the same school, presumably moving up to the senior school. The school leaving age at that time was 12 years old, which increased to 14 at the end of the war in 1918.

By 1911 the family had moved to a three roomed house at 15 Dingwall Road, Wandsworth. His father John was still employed as a Carman, and his mother was recorded as working as a Laundress. John now had another sister, four year old Edith Maud. Sadly, the 1911 census mistakenly includes four other siblings - their names were subsequently crossed out, as they had died. The infant mortality rate was high at that time, with infectious and respiratory diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis being the most common causes of death, and it seems that the family had more than their fair share of bad luck.

According to the Census, William (John) aged 14, was employed as a Candle Maker in a Candle Factory. He probably worked at Prices Candle Factory in Wandsworth. By 1900 it was the largest manufacturer of candles in the world. Its London factory at Battersea covered eleven acres including a paraffin distillery and candle, soap and lubricating oil manufacture; it even had its own light railway system for moving goods about within the factory.

William enlisted at Kingston on Thames and joined the 1st Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment as a Private. He later moved to the 2nd Battalion. War Records show that he was listed as "Wounded" on the Casualty List issued by the War Office from the 19th February 1915. The record also states that: “This man was entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916. The terms of this award being met by their naming in this list.” The Wound Stripe took the form of a strip of gold Russia braid, two inches in length, sewn perpendicularly on the left sleeve of the jacket to mark each occasion on which wounded. Officers and men reported ‘wounded – gas,’ or ‘Wounded – shock, shell,’ were entitled to the distinction, but accidental or self-inflicted wounds or injuries did not qualify. The War Diary for the 2nd Battalion of his regiment written on 20 February 1915, records that several men and officers volunteered to form a storming party to take an enemy trench to see if they were mining. No mines were found and the men returned, without their Officer. Several men were wounded on that day, and it was recorded that the Commander of the 6th Brigade expressed his great satisfaction of the behaviour of the men. Presumably William was one of those wounded men. At some point, William was promoted to Acting Corporal, perhaps because of his actions on that day.

There were several battles that William’s battalion could have participated in, including the Battles of Festubert, Loos, Ancre, and the first battle of the Scarpe. William was killed on 17 February 1917 at Baillescourt Farm during a battle near Miraumont. It was recorded in the battalion’s War Diary for that day that hostile artillery was above normal, and it was discovered later that the attack had been given away, and that the Germans had reinforced their lines with machine guns. Casualties were very heavy and out of 10 officers, only one returned uninjured.

The Register of Soldiers Effects records that his mother Elizabeth received the amount of £15.10s owing to him on his death. It is not clear when his family moved to 35 Boundary Road, Colliers Wood, but electoral registers show that his father lived there from 1918 to at least 1935 when records end.

William is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France as he has no known grave, and locally at Christ Church, Colliers Wood.