Private William Frederick Arthur Drane
| Date of Birth | 12/04/1898 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 21 |
| Date of Death | 12/06/1919 |
| Service Number | 225193 3961 701259 |
| Military Service | London Regiment Royal Fusiliers 1st Bn |
| Merton Address | 186 Singlegate, High St, Colliers Wood Merton Surrey |
| Local Memorial | Mitcham Parish Church |
Additional Information
Harry John Drane who was born in 1871 at Great Sampford in Essex was employed as a labourer according to the 1891 Census and moved to Southwark where he met and married Ellen Eldrett on the 22nd September 1894 at Christchurch in Southwark.
William Frederick Arthur who was born on the 12th April 1898, where the family resided at 14 Victory Road in Wimbledon. William was baptised on the 15th June 1900. At All Saints Church in South Wimbledon. Baptismal records reveal Harry John’s occupation was that of a labourer.
The 1901 Census reveals that Harry and Ellen had a total of 3 children, Dorothy age 5 years with William age 2 years and 5-week old baby Gladys.
By 1911, the Census reveals that Harry and Ellen had been married for 17 years, the couple had a total of 3 children, all of whom had survived. Sixteen-year-old Dorothy was now employed as a general servant in Wimbledon. Also living with the Drane family was Jennie Cox, a 55-year-old widow who was a sister, a needlewoman by occupation.
Nineteen-year-old William enlisted in the London Regiment on the 12th May 1915, his service record reveals that he had previously been employed as a warehouse assistant. He was described as being 5ft 5 inches tall and weighing only 122 lbs, he had a fresh complexion, fair hair and grey eyes.
After basic training in the UK, he was posted to France on the 2nd January 1916 where he served for 9 months before returning home to the UK on the 26th September 1916. William returned to France on the 9th June 1917 until 24th August after he was wounded in France, he returned to the UK to recuperate where a medical review at Wharncliffe War hospital in Sheffield on the 1st January 1918 deemed him unfit for military service because of his complex injuries. William was 21 years and 9 months old with scars on his back and his neck had left him with difficulty in swallowing and with constant saliva dribbling from his mouth due to a partial paralysis of his tongue, he had a bad cough and expectorated a lot of thick phlegm sometimes red in colour. According to his mother, at times he gets very delirious and wonders in his mind.
On examination by the doctor, another scar shows penetration of the chest wall and there is evidence of injury to the right vagus nerve, he is pale and extremely emaciated because he has lost a lot of weight he is now confined to bed, he sweats badly at night becoming feverish towards evening. His heart rate is 198 regular with moving rales all over both lungs and with signs of coarction (Narrowing) at the right apex. He is seen daily by the doctor and a nurse has visited. There is someone in attendance both night and day (he was considered to be a hopeless case).
William was discharged under paragraph 392 as being no longer fit for active service on 22nd January 1918. He died on the 12th June 1919 and he has been buried at Mitcham Church Road burial ground.