Pte 50614 William McCray

• Age: 21
• From: Lancaster
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Monday 20th May 1918
• Commemorated at: Harlebeke New Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: XI.E.18

William McCray was born on 25th August 1896, the second son of William and Annie McCray (née Parkinson). His father, born in Birkenhead, and his mother in Lancaster, they married in Lancaster in 1890, and had eight children;  William had older siblings John, born in 1890, Mary 1892, and Fanny 1894 (died at age 2), and younger siblings Ellen 1898 (also died at age 2), Mildred 1901 (died age 1), Donald 1903, and Henrietta 1908.

He was baptised in St. John’s, Lancaster, on 31st March 1898, his father’s occupation given as quarryman, and his parents’ residence as Ann Street.

In 1901 the family, with four children, is living at 20 Ann Street, Lancaster. His father is a stone quarryman, William is aged 4.

William attended St. Thomas’ Church of England School and left in 1910, when he was 14.  Before enlisting, William was employed in White Cross Mill, the oldest cotton mill in Lancaster, which had begun producing oil cloth in 1856 (the factory was still in use until the early 1980s).

They are still at 20 Ann Street in 1911, and his father, 44, is still employed as a quarryman.  His mother is 39, John, 20, and William, 15, work for an oil cloth manufacturer, Mary, 18, is a card room hand in a cotton mill, Donald is 7 and Henrietta 3.

By 1915 they have moved to 22 Aldcliffe Lane.

The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he enlisted in early 1916.

He enlisted in Lancaster and was formerly 34551, Royal Lancaster Regiment and was at some point transferred to the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 50614, and later posted to the 17th Bn K.L.R.

William was wounded in action and captured by the Germans.  He was taken to the German field hospital at Marke, where he died of his wounds on 20th May 1918, aged 21, and was buried in Marke (or Marcke) German Military Cemetery, grave 173.  This cemetery (Ehrenfriedhof Marke), is 7 miles east of Harlebeke on the river Lys.

After the war, when graves were concentrated, William’s body was removed and reinterred in Harlebeke New British Cemetery, where he now rests.

After the war, when graves were concentrated, Edward’s body was removed and reinterred in Harlebeke where he now rests at Plot 2, Row E, Grave 2, New Harlebeke Military Cemetery, Belgium.

Harlebeke village was taken on the night of 19-20 October 1918 by the 9th (Scottish) Division.

Harlebeke New British Cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the surrounding battlefields of 1918 and, in 1924-25, from German cemeteries or plots in Belgium. The earlier concentrations are in Plots I and X, and the later in Plots I, II and XI to XIX. In the latter group are many graves of October 1914.

In May 1940, The British Expeditionary Force was involved in the later stages of the defence of Belgium following the German invasion, and suffered many casualties in covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk. Commonwealth forces did not return until September 1944.

The cemetery now contains 1,116 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 181 of the burials are unidentified and a special memorial is erected to one casualty who is believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 19 casualties buried by the Germans in other burial grounds whose graves could not be found on concentration. There are also ten burials of the Second World War in the cemetery.

The cemetery was designed by W H Cowlishaw.

His parents, at 22 Aldcliffe Lane, Lancaster, received a weekly pension and their son’s Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £4.

William was listed as missing in the local press on 25th June 1918

There were more details for him, in the Lancaster Guardian dated 21st September 1918 on page 3.

His older brother John enlisted in August 1915 and served in the Royal Engineers Signals and the Royal Lancaster Regiment.  He served in France, at home, and in Mesopotamia and returned home in May 1919. (His service papers have survived). John later had a son he called William, who served in North Africa in World War Two.

His mother died in 1924 aged 51, and his father 1925, aged 57.

William is commemorated on the Clan MacRae Roll of Honour, but sadly he has not been found on any physical memorial.

We currently have no further information on William McCray, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.