William James Bloor, known as Willie, was born in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire in late summer 1890 and baptised on Monday, 2nd February 1891 at All Saints Church in Croxley Green. He was the third son born to Joseph and Mary Ann Bloor who had eight children together, two of whom are unknown and died in infancy. The surviving children were: Lizzie (Sarah Elizabeth), Lily (Lilian), Joseph, Ernest, William James and John.

Willie’s older brothers Joseph and Ernest also fought in the Great War and were both wounded but survived the conflict.

When Willie was born, his family lived on New Road, Croxley Green, a short walk from the Grand Junction (Union) Canal where his father Joseph was a ‘Boatman’ (Waterman). Joseph had been a ‘Waterman’ for many years and had been employed by the Grand Junction Canal Company. He had first worked a boat on the Regent’s Canal in London, where he survived an explosion on a nearby boat which killed two of his work-mates. He later became a ‘Lock-Keeper’ at Nash Mills with the Company before leaving to work for John Dickinson & Co. Limited as a ‘Waterman’. He navigated a barge carrying goods between Apsley Mills, Nash Mills, Home Park and Croxley Mills, all Dickinson facilities.

Willie attended Apsley Boys School and an incident recorded in the school log in October 1903 has a particular poignancy. Willie and six other boys were late for an afternoon school session and despite getting back in time to be registered present, they were all detained after school as punishment. The boys were; Bertie Crawley, Fred Brinklow, Albert Cutler, Reggie Oakins, George Price and Willie. Of the six, Bertie, Fred, Albert and Willie died in the Great War whilst Reggie’s brother Nimrod Oakins was also killed. Their biographies appear on this site.

When he left school in 1904 Willie went to work for G.B. Kent and Sons, the brush makers in Apsley, before moving to John Dickinson & Co as a ‘Packer’ at Apsley Mills where he remained until the start of the war.

On the outbreak of war, Willie enlisted with the Bedfordshire Regiment attesting at Hemel Hempstead in August 1914. He was posted to the 6th (Service) Battalion and initially went to Aldershot to train.

Whilst there, the sad news of the sudden death of his father on Sunday, 16th April 1915 reached him, and the circumstances were reported in the Hemel Gazette shortly afterwards.

Willie moved to Salisbury Plain a month after his father’s death and it was from there he was mobilised in July 1915. He went to France on the 29th July disembarking at Le Havre the following day.

In July 1916, the 6th Battalion Bedfordshires were part of the assault on Pozieres where the 112th Brigade fought at the Battle of Bazentin Ridge. The fighting was intense and the 6th Battalion suffered 330 casualties, killed, wounded or missing in a single day. Willie was one of the wounded and was immediately evacuated to hospital at Rouen but sadly died of his wounds late on the following day.

He died on Sunday, 16th July 1916.

His death was reported in the Hemel Gazette a few weeks later and a letter of sympathy, sent to his mother Mary, from his C.O. 2nd Lieut. C.H. Nathan was also published. (see extract)

He is commemorated on the John Dickinson & Co. Limited War Memorial in Apsley and also at St Mary’s Church nearby.

Willie is Remembered with Honour in St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France where he is interred in Grave A.26.22. The inscription on his headstone, requested by his mother Mary, reads: “THE CALL WAS SHORT THE SHOCK SEVERE TO PART WITH ONE WE LOVED SO DEAR”.

Willie was 26 years old when he died

He was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.