Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

Pte 243457 William Cronin

Age: 20
From: Liverpool
Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
D.O.W Sunday 13th October 1918
Commemorated at: Rocqigny-equancourt Rd B C
Panel Ref: XIII.D.35

William was born in Liverpool on 03rd March 1898, the only son of Eugene Cronin and his wife Ellen (née Henry). Eugene, from Cork, and Ellen, from Leitrim, married in Liverpool in 1890. William was the youngest of four children; he had older sisters Ellen, Elizabeth and Anne. William was baptized in St. Joseph’s Church, Liverpool on 27th March 1898, his parents’ residence Chaucer Street.

In 1901 the family is living in 2 Court House 4, Rose Place. His father, Eugene, is a 47 year old tobacco warehouseman, born in Ireland, mother Ellen 36 a dressmaker, also born in Ireland. Their children were born in Liverpool and are listed as; Elizabeth 8, Anne 5 and William 3. They have two visitors, Thomas and Mary Grimes.

By 1911 they have moved to 20 Thurlow Street. His father, 58, is a labourer in a tobacco works, his mother is 47, a dressmaker, at home. They have been married for 20 years and have had 4 children. His siblings are listed as Ellen, 19, also works at home as a dress fitter, Elizabeth, 18 is an office cleaner, Anne, 15, is a cigarette maker. William is 13, at school.

William’s mother died in January 1913, aged 49.

William enlisted in Liverpool in the R.A.M.C. as Private 1502. As his service record has not survived the details are not known, but from the War Gratuity, based on rank and length of service, William served 33 months, meaning he enlisted in early 1915 (he would have turned 17 in March that year). At some point he was transferred to the 14th Bn King’s (Liverpool) Regiment as Private 243457. The 14th landed at Boulogne in September 1915, and moved to Salonika in November 1915. The battalion fought at the Battles of Horshoe Hill and Machukovo in 1916 and at Doiran in 1917. In June 1918 they transferred from the Mediterranean Theatre, embarking at Itea in Greece, disembarking at Taranto, Italy, and then to the Western Front. In August 1918 the battalion was absorbed by the 18th Bn K.L.R., becoming the 18th (Lancashire Hussars) King’s (Liverpool) Regiment.

The Hundred Days Offensive, the Allied push which would eventually end the war, begins on 8th August 1918 and on 7th October 1918 the 18th Bn arrives at the Hindenburg Line at Bony. It is not known when William was wounded but he died of his wounds at No.18 Casualty Clearing Station.

He now rests at Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, Somme where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“NEVER FORGOTTEN BY ALL FATHER AND SISTERS R.I.P.”

Rocquigny and Equancourt are two villages in the Department of the Somme, some 13 kilometres north of Peronne and 12 kilometres south-east of Bapaume. Rocquigny and Equancourt are approximately 8 kilometres apart and the Rocquigny-Equancourt British Cemetery lies about halfway between the two villages on the north side of the road just west of the crossing road from Etricourt to Ytres.

Etricourt was occupied by Commonwealth troops at the beginning of April 1917 during the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. It was lost on the 23 March 1918 when the Germans advanced, but regained at the beginning of September.

The cemetery was begun in 1917 and used until March 1918, mainly by the 21st and 48th Casualty Clearing Stations posted at Ytres, and to a small extent by the Germans, who knew it as "Etricourt Old English Cemetery". Burials were resumed by Commonwealth troops in September 1918 and the 3rd Canadian and 18th Casualty Clearing Stations buried in it in October and November 1918.

The cemetery contains 1,838 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 20 of the burials are unidentified and nine Commonwealth graves (6 of which were made by the Germans) which cannot now be found are represented by special memorials. The cemetery also contains 198 German war burials and the graves of ten French civilians.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

William's death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 6th November 1918:

“Official news has reached Mr. Cronin, 113 Bishopgate St., of the death of his only son, Pte. W. Cronin, K.L.R., late of R.A.M.C., aged 20, who died of wounds received in action, on October 13.”

His father, at 113 Bishopgate Gardens, Liverpool, received his effects, including a War Gratuity of £15-10s and a pension of 5/- a week.

The CWGC graves registration shows his father Eugene Cronin at 9 Wavertree Vale, Wavertree, Liverpool. His father died in 1928 aged 65.

His sister Elizabeth married and had a son also named William. He served in the Merchant Navy in World War Two as Naval Auxiliary Personnel and died on 22nd August 1945 serving on H.M.S. Palomares. He is buried in Asmara War Cemetery, Eritrea.

William is commemorated on the Liverpool Hall of Remembrance at Panel 9 Right.

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

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