Pte 49054 William Fletcher Berrington

William Fletcher Berrington was born in the June quarter of 1877 at 1 Bold Place, Boughton, near Chester to Chester born porter William Berrington and his Chester born wife Eliza (nee Walley). They married in the December quarter of 1866 in Great Boughton and had eight children (four girls and four boys). William was the sixth child of eight and was named after his father and elder brother who died aged 1 in 1874.

 

The April 1881 Census shows 4 year old William living with his parents and five siblings at 1 Bold Place, Boughton. His four elder sisters, all born in Chester are listed as; Eliza Ann b.1868, Lizzie b.1869, Emily b 1871 and Amelia born 1876. Also present is his brother Samuel aged 1.

On 02nd June 1885 when William was just eight years old his mother Eliza died aged 38.

 

In the June quarter of 1890 when William was just 13 years old further tragedy befell the family when his younger brother Samuel died aged 10.

 

The April 1891 Census shows William aged 12 and brother Charles aged 9 as pauper inmates with 600 others at Chester Union Workhouse in Hoole, Chester. His father's whereabouts are unknown. His sisters are all married with families of their own.

 

By April 1901 the  Census shows William aged 23 is a tram driver and he is a boarder at 6 Park Road, Toxteth, Liverpool with possible relative William Roberts and his family. William Roberts is possibly the brother of his grandmother Harriet Roberts, because he appears to live with them some 17 years from 1897 to 1914.

 

In the 1911 Census, William now aged 33 is shown as a tram conductor for Cheshire Council, he is still living as a boarder with the Roberts family but they have now moved to a new address: 227 Ballington Street, Toxteth, Liverpool.

 

In the September quarter of 1913 his elder married sister Lizzie Mulligan died aged 44.

 

In February 1914 William's father William died aged 69. 

 

William enlisted as Private 49054 joining the 20th Battalion (Pals) of The King's Liverpool Regiment. He later transferred to the 13th King's which in 1916 became part of the 3rd Division, 9th Brigade replacing the 1/10th King's Liverpool Scottish. 

On 3rd September 1916 William's married sister Annie Randall's youngest child of her three children, Albert Percy Randall  of 2nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment was killed in action, aged 19. He now rests at Lonsdale Cemetery, Authuille at X.F.4  
 

Further tragedy was to befall the family on 16 September 1916 when William's younger bother Charles Berrington Private 13080 7th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment is killed in action. Charles has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. 

 

Now serving with the 13th Battalion K.L.R.  William spent most of the Summer 1917 in the Somme area, they were at Achiet -le-Petit on 1st July but moved later in the day to Beugny and at night relieved the 4th Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry in the front line.On the 20th July 1917 the enemy, after a heavy bombardment, attacked a post held by one NCO and 4 men. The enemy's bombardment had wrecked the post and the wire in front of it. About 50 Germans then advanced and having penetrated the wire opened machine gun fire and attacked the garrison with bombs. But although fighting against heavy odds the five gallant King's men with rifle fire and bombs repulsed the attack.The NCO had been reduced to one combatant."

 

William was presumably one of the other 3 King's men killed in action in that attack of 21st July 1917, he was 40 years of age. 

He now rests at Red Cross Corner Cemetery, Beugny, France.

 

Plot I of the cemetery (except Row K) was made between April 1917 and March 1918 by field ambulances and fighting units. When the cemetery fell into German hands in March 1918, they added the 25 Commonwealth burials that make up Row K (all from 21 March 1918) and began another cemetery alongside (Beugny Military Cemetery No.3). Commonwealth forces retook the cemetery in September 1918 and added Plot II to the original burials. The German graves were removed after the Armistice, and the Commonwealth burials among them were transferred partly to Delsaux Farm Cemetery and partly to Favreuil British Cemetery. Red Cross Corner Cemetery now contains 219 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 12 of the burials are unidentified and one casualty whose grave was destroyed by shell fire in 1918 is commemorated by a special memorial. The cemetery was designed by W H Cowlishaw.

 

His sister Annie Randall of 33 Beresford Road, Toxteth placed a Memoriam notice to him on 04th August 1917. He was listed as killed in the Liverpool Post and Mercury edition on 22nd August and again on 28th August 1917 . 

 

On 22 November 1917 his Army Pay arrears was split and £3:4s:4d sent to his sister Annie Randall and the same amount to his other sister Emily Hulse.

On 17 February 1920 they each received a War Gratuity of £1:15s.

Even further loss was brought on the family when William's elder sister Lizzie's son, Frederick John Mulligan died of illness in Cairo in October 1918 while serving as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers. He now rests at Cairo War Memorial Cemetery where his headstone bears the epitaph:

LOVED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIM 

 

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