BORN HULL 1880. SON OF JAMES JOSIAH & MARY JANE (TURNER). ONE OF EIGHT CHILDREN. BEFORE THE WAR, HE WORKED AT THE EARLES SHIPYARD, AS A SHIP’S PAINTER AND GLAZIER. HE WAS A PROMINENT MEMBER OF THE RAOB LODGE. HE MARRIED ON 25/12/1902. HIS WIFE GERTRUDE (RUDIGER) & THREE CHILDREN LIVED AT 62 ESTCOURT STREET, HULL (ARMY ADDRESS).
HE ENLISTED HULL, 03/08/1916. FORMERLY, PRIVATE, 13TH EYR. ARRIVED FRANCE, 01/09/1918. TRANSFERRED TO THE 11TH DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY. DIED OF GUN SHOT WOUND TO THE ABDOMEN, ON 30/03/1918, AGED 38. DESCRIBED AT 5 FOOT 7 INCHES TALL, 140 LBS WEIGHT, AND 36.5 INCH CHEST. HIS DAMAGED IDENTITY DISC WAS FOUND IN 1923. HE IS BURIED AT THE HANGARD COMMUNAL CEMETERY, ON THE SOMME.
HIS BROTHER, STANLEY LAWTON WILLINGHAM, DIED OF WOUNDS AT NO; 3 STAFF HOSPITAL, BOULONGE, ON 07/06/1916, AGE 29.
THEY LEFT A WIDOWED MOTHER MARY AND SISTER KATE COUPE, WHO LIVED TOGETHER ON ESTCOURT STREET, HULL. THEY WROTE, “HE SLEEPS BESIDE HIS COMRADES, IN A HALLOWED GRAVE UNKNOWN, BUT HIS NAME IS WRITTEN IN WORDS OF LOVE, ON THE HEARTS, HE LEFT AT HOME.” (HDM 14/10/1918)
29/10/2017 – If you have photos of either brother, please contact Lynda Smith – smithly_2000@yahoo.com
