Pte William York Amer

• Age: 23
• From: Ellesmere Port
• Regiment: 1st Kings
• Died on Monday 29th April 1918
• Commemorated at: Cabaret Rouge Bc
  Panel Ref: VIII.R.31

Born 25 April 1895 as William York Amer in Ellesmere Port to Birkenhead born steel worker William Amer and his Ellesmere Port born wife Margaret Ann (nee Salter) who were married in the September quarter of 1894. William was the the first born child and eldest of the two sons and two girls.

The 1901 Census shows the family at 36 Queen Street, Whitby, Ellesmere Port  living next door to Margaret' parents and siblings at number 38

The 1911 Census shows that the family have moved to 57 Whitby Road, Ellesmere Port and shows 16 year old William as a joiners apprentice living with his parents and siblings.

 William enlisted in Liverpool as Private 22910 into the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment.

He was subsequently transferred to the 11th Battalion (KLR) and subsequently into  the 1st Battalion (KLR)

On 13th October 1917 his younger brother Samuel Amer, aged 19, serving as Private 38718 of the 8th Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment died of wounds. He now rests at St Sever Cemetery Extension in Rouen where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"A SILENT THOUGHT A SECRET TEAR KEEP HIS MEMORY EVER DEAR"

Less than 5 months later William was in action again on 29th April 1918 The Battle of Scherpenberg.

"Just after 3 a.m. a bombardment of exceptional intensity and violence was opened by the enemy and two hours later a series of strong attacks were launched against the French and British positions West of Dranoutre to Voormezeele"

William was killed during this action, aged 23,  serving with the 1st King's Battalion.

He now rests at Cabaret Rouge Cemetery, Souchez, Calais where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"HIS MEMORY IS AS FRESH TODAY AS IN THE HOUR HE PASSED AWAY"

"Cabaret Rouge" was a small, red-bricked, red-tiled café that stood close to this site in the early days of the First World War. The café was destroyed by shellfire in March 1915 but it gave its unusual name to this sector and to a communication trench that led troops up the front-line. Commonwealth soldiers began burying their fallen comrades here in March 1916. The cemetery was used mostly by the 47th (London) Division and the Canadian Corps until August 1917 and by different fighting units until September 1918. It was greatly enlarged in the years after the war when as many as 7,000 graves were concentrated here from over 100 other cemeteries in the area. For much of the twentieth century, Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery served as one of a small number of ‘open cemeteries’ at which the remains of fallen servicemen newly discovered in the region were buried. Today the cemetery contains over 7,650 burials of the First World War, over half of which remain unidentified.

His Army pay of £15: 15s 9d was sent to his mother Margaret on 07th October 1918 just 6 months after the family had suffered the grievous loss of their other son Samuel. On 23rd September 1919 a War Gratuity of £16 was also sent to his mother, her husband had only received a War Gratuity of £3 for  Son Samuel 2 weeks previously.

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