Private William Henry Page
| Date of Birth | c. 1898 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 20 |
| Date of Death | 30 December 1918 |
| Service Number | 241542 |
| Military Service | 1st Garrison, Devonshire Regiment |
| Merton Address | 1 Homewood Road, Mitcham |
| Local Memorial | Mitcham War Memorial |
Additional Information
Born in Mitcham in 1898, William was the son of Henry (William) and Louisa Elizabeth Page. The 1901 census records the family living at 4 Queens Road, Mitcham. William was aged four at the time, and he had a one-year-old sister Rose.
By 1911 the family had moved to 16 Belgrave Road, and had grown to include Rose aged 9, Ivy 7, Daisy 4, and 3-month-old Christopher - another sister Ellen was born in 1915. Father Henry was now employed as a Rag Sorter. It is possible that the Page family were from the gypsy community as they lived next door to the Sparrowhawk family who were well known gypsy rag and bone dealers, and Henry most probably worked with them. The family later moved to 1 Homewood Road, Mitcham where William’s mother Louisa lived until at least 1937 according to the Electoral Registers.
During the war, William enlisted with the Norfolk Regiment (Service No. 8842), before transferring to the 1/5 Garrison Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. This battalion was in India during the outbreak of the First World War and after moving to Suez, Egypt on 4 April 1917, then saw action in Mesopotamia and Palestine.
William died in hospital on 31 December 1918 after the war had ended in November and is buried in the Ramleh War Cemetery in what is now Israel. His battalion had redeployed to France in July 1918, but it may be that William remained hospitalised in Palestine until after the war ended.
His last pay of £10.15.6 and the War Gratuity of £13.00 was shared between his sisters, and his father Henry (William) Snr.
William is also commemorated on the Mitcham War Memorial.