William Alfred Croft was born on Wednesday, 26th August 1896 in Chetnole, Dorset and baptised in the local parish church a month later on Sunday, 27th September. His parents were William Croft and Martha Ann Baker who had seven children together: Sarah Ann, Emily, George, Walter Henry, Gertrude Frances Annie, Alice Mabel and the youngest William. One of William’s older brothers, Walter Henry, died of illness whilst serving in August 1916. Their brother-in-law Bertie Parkins died in France in 1917. Walter and Bertie are also on this site.

His father William had originally worked as a ‘Brewer’s Drayman’ but changed jobs to work as a ‘Domestic Coachman’ in the 1890’s. It was this change in job which eventually brought the Croft family to Hemel Hempstead some time after 1901. William’s father first came to Bovingdon, before moving to Hemel Hempstead in 1906 where the family lived at 73 Cotteralls. By 1911 William senior had secured a job at Grove Hill House working as ‘Coachman’ for the Elworthy family. Sidney Richard Elworthy a son of William’s employer was also killed in the Great War in 1918 and his biography also appears on this site.

William went to Boxmoor JMI school when he arrived in Hemel Hempstead in 1906 and according to the school admissions register, he left in January 1910 to “help his father with horses (domestic service outdoor)”. A year later however he is recorded on the census return as a ‘Baker Boy’ no doubt preferring the warmth of a bakery to the harsh outdoor conditions and heavy work involved in handling horses. By the time war broke out, William was living at Ripney Hill, Minster, Sheerness-on-Sea where he had gone with his father whose work meant he was frequently on the move. William was working as a ‘Gardener’ but when he was old enough to qualify for service overseas, he joined the Colours.

He enlisted with the Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) attesting at Maidstone on the 29th November 1915. William’s Service Records from the time record that he was; nineteen years and ninety-five days old on enlistment, five feet five-and-a-half inches tall and measured thirty-five inches around his chest. He weighed 125 lbs or just under nine stones. When he completed his basic training at Aldershot, he was posted to the newly formed 10th (Service) Battalion of the West Kents and sent to France where he disembarked at Le Havre on the 5th May 1916. Three months after arriving, William contracted ‘German Measles’ and was immediately admitted to hospital where he remained until the 10th September. He returned to his unit just in time to take part in its first major engagement at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, notable for the first deployment of the newly invented Tank. William came through unscathed but was in action again two weeks later at the Battle of Transloy as the Somme offensive drew to a close. Once again, he survived the engagement.

By June 1917 the 10th West Kents had moved to Belgium and William, newly promoted Lance Corporal, again saw action in the Battle of Messines. From Messines the Battalion marched to Pilckem north of Ypres and made ready for the next major allied offensive and the Third Battle of Ypres. The opening engagement was at Pilckem Ridge and at 3.30 a.m. on the morning of the 31st July, the barrage commenced and the attack on Pilckem Ridge began. The Battalion War Diaries are to the point when describing the action and the following is recorded: “31/7/17 3.50AM Barrage opened and attack commenced. The Battalion gained two objectives consolidated and held the same. Casualties will be included in next month’s War Diary on completion of operations…”. Between the 25th July and the 5th August 247 officers and men were Killed, Wounded or posted Missing and a large proportion as a result of the actions at Pilckem Ridge. Sadly, William was one of the casualties.

William was killed on Tuesday, 31st July 1917. On the third anniversary of his death his family posted a moving ‘In Memoriam’ notice in the Hemel Gazette.

William is Remembered with Honour on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, Panel 45 and 47.

He was only 20 years old when he died.

William was eligible for the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.