The Queens Own Royal West Kent R

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Private W C Gambrill

Photograph by "js"

Private William Clarence GAMBRILL, G/5947, "B" Company, 1st Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, died, 7th December 1916, age 32.

Son of Albert John and Mary Gambrill, of 15, Chapel St., Hythe, Kent.

29th April 1915, posted BEF; 7th August 1915, discharged.

Buried at Fort Pitt Military Cemetery, 1426, United Kingdom.

NOTE: Not included in Regimental History or Soldiers Died in the Great War but shown on the CWGC web site.

Information and Documents provided by Geoff Poole

Purchased medal to G/ 5947 GAMBRILL Royal West Kent, years ago. After searching found a wealth of information about him and family.

Joined R.N. 1900 discharged, I have his copied papers. Joined Royal Irish Rifles served 3 years. Went to Reserve. Joined Royal West Kent served 3 months in trenches, discharged with tuberculosis which claimed his life. On his papers it states trench life probably aggravated it.

He was born Brighton, Sussex, occupation valet. After discharge he went home to his parents in Gillingham, Kent. He was married with a daughter.

He was one of five sons serving and his father also served. Most his family attended his funeral this is all very well documented in the Chatham Rochester & Gillingham News. He was granted full band, gun carriage and rifle party.

Brother Stanley served Surrey Regiment, awarded DCM.

Harry, the youngest, aged 20 also Royal West Kent ended up in mental hospital, severe shock.

Brother Benjamin R.N. discharged.

Father a Kitchener volunteer pensioned off, served Surrey's, Suffolk's. Don't know of many families like this one.

This page was last updated on 07-Mar-2019.