William John Kilbourne
1911 - brass worker (foundry)
2 September 1912 - joined the Royal Navy, civilian occupation 'painter'
1939 - general labourer. Employed at Raleigh Works for five years before the outbreak of war.
Second World War - rejoined the Royal Navy
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
William John was the son of Joseph and Millicent Kilbourne (née Pratt).
His father was born in Sneinton, Nottingham, in 1863 and his mother in Beeston, Nottingham, in 1871. They were married in 1892 (reg. AMJ) and according to information provided on the 1911 Census had ten children, although a daughter was born later that year. There may have been another daughter, not named but registered as 'female', who was born in 1892 (AMJ Basford) and may have died in early infancy.
Their children were: William John b. 1893, Millicent Gladys (Gladys) birth registered 1895 (JFM), Leslie b. 1896, Phyllis birth registered 1898 (JFM), Fanny b, 1899, Lavinia b. 1901, Joseph b. 1903 (Feb), Alfred b. 1905), George b. Dec. 1906 (reg. 1907), Bernard b. 1909 and Hettie/Hetty b. 1911 (JAS). The older children were born in Radford, but the three youngest, George, Bernard and Hettie, were born in Hyson Green.
Joseph, a Leivers lace maker, Millicent and their five children, William, Gladys, Leslie, Phyllis and Fanny, were living at 2 Beechams Square, Radford, in 1901.
The family had moved to 26 Lambert Street, Hyson Green, by 1911. All ten children were in the home on the night of the census: William, a brass worker (foundry), Gladys a 'maker slip', Leslie who was also a brass worker (founder), Phyllis, Fanny, Lavinia, Joseph and Alfred who were school age, and George and Bernard. Hettie was born later that year. William joined the Royal Navy in September 1912.
The eldest daughter, Millicent Gladys, married Harold Davis in 1913.
Phyllis married George William Wilson in July 1914; they had two children, William John (b. Aug. 1914) and George Arthur Leslie (b. July 1916). Her husband was killed in France in March 1918 by which time their two sons were officially in the care of their paternal grandmother.
William's younger brother Leslie was killed in 1918 and their father completed a form for the Army on 22 October 1919 listing Leslie's surviving blood relatives:
Parents: Joseph and Millicent Kilbourne, 26 Lambert Street, Hyson Green.
Brothers: William John (26), Joseph (16), Alfred (14), George (12), Bernard (10)
Sisters: Gladys Davis (24), Phyllis Wilson (21), Fanny Kilbourne (20), Lavinia Kilbourne (18), Nelly-sic [Hettie] (8).
No addresses were given for their ten children, but three, William, Millicent and Phyllis, were married and living independently
Joseph and Millicent were still living at 26 Lambert Street in 1921. Also in the home were seven of their children: Fanny and Lavinia who were both machinists, Joseph an unemployed labourer, Alfred a hosiery trimmer, George an errand boy and Bernard and Hettie who were school age. Also in the home was their grandson, John Thomas Wilson (b. Dec. 1917, 'both parents living') who was probably their daughter Phyllis Wilson's son by another relationship (see record for George William Wilson on this Roll of Honour).
William had married Hester Harriet Jackson in 1915 and their son, William John, was born on 13 May 1920. In 1921 William was still serving in the Royal Navy and Hester was living at 50 Redoubt Street, Nottingham, and recorded on the census as head of household. Also in the home were their son William John (4m), her mother Clara Jackson, her unmarried sister Caroline (19), a boarder, Thomas Poole Jackson (23), sister-in-law Lily Jackson (24) and a niece, Violet Henson (one year).
Joseph snr. died on 13 March 1929. His widow Millicent died on 27 April 1948.
William served in the Royal Navy until at least 1928. In 1939 he and his wife and son were living at 22 Redoubt Street, Nottingham; William was a general labourer and his son a cycle hand.
Their son probably emigrated to Australia as there is a record of a William J Kilbourne aged 29 on a passenger list departing England on 11 October 1950 for Sydney Australia (SS Ranchi, P&O Line), and a probate record registered in Victoria, Australia, for a William John Kilbourne. His mother Hester died in March 1958; the probate record gave her address as 22 Redoubt Street, but that she had died in Wollaton.
Of William's nine surviving siblings:
Millicent Gladys, who had married Harold Davis in 1913, was living with her husband and daughter, Florence (b. 1915) on Beech Avenue, Beeston, in 1939. Harold was the manager of a Temperance Club and she was an overlocker embroidery. Her daughter's occupation was given as unpaid domestic duties. Harold died in 1946 and Millicent in 1983 (reg. Beeston). The probate record gave her address as Sandbeck House, Sandbeck Avenue, Skegness.
Lavinia had married George Arthur Brookes in 1922 and in 1939 they were living on Allendale Avenue, Nottingham. Her husband died in 1964 and she married William Johnson in 1970. Lavinia died in 1979.
Alfred married Amelia Simpson in 1926. In 1939 Alfred, a hosiery trimmer, was living on Denman Street, Radford, the sole occupant. He probably remarried in 1951 and died in 1963.
George and his wife Phyllis (née Hodges m. 1927) were living in Leicester in 1939; he was a hosiery trimmer and his wife a dancing teacher (own account). George died in 1963.
Joseph married Hannah A. Bell in 1929 and in 1939 they were living on Comyn Street, Nottingham. Joseph was a warehouseman (paper trade) and Hannah an overlooker (handmade paper bag trade). Joseph died in 2000.
Bernard, a general food warehouseman, and his wife Ida (née Barker, m. 1932) were living on Independent Street in 1939. Also in the household was George Barker (b. 1868), a widower; the record of one other member of the household remains closed. Bernard died in 1997 (reg. Erewash Derby).
Fanny and Hettie have not yet been traced after 1921 but their names appear in notices relating to their parents' deaths in 1929 and 1948. Their sister Phyllis (Wilson) had separated from her husband before his death in 1918 and has only been traced after this date in 1949 when she inserted a notice in the local paper commemorating her mother's death the previous year.
William John joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 2 September 1912 on a 12 year engagement. He was rated 1st Class Stoker on 28 August the following year, to Acting Leading Stoker on 18 November 1915 and then rated Leading Stoker on 18 May 1916.
William served in the following ships and shore establishments during the First World War: HMS Superb May 1913-March 1915, Victory II March 1915-May 1915; HMS Birmngham May 1915-November 1916, Victory II November 1916-June 1917. HMS Jacko? June 1917-December 1918. Victory II December 1918-February 1919.
The last ship on his record was HMS Benbow, 4 September 1928 (single date) and then an entry that he was mobilised on 28 September 1938 (Victory II) and demobilised on 4 October 1938 which might indicate that he was a Naval Reservist. A report of his death in the local paper said that William had served in the Royal Navy for 25 years before the war, which would mean he served from 1912 to 1937. However, the same report included the information that he had worked for Raleigh for five years before he was 'called up' and William was still in Nottingham and working as a general labourer in October 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled.
His last ship was HMS Hartland formerly USCGC Pontchartrain (1928), a Lake-class cutter belonging to the United States Coast Guard, which was launched on 16 June 1928 and commissioned on 13 October 1928. After 13 years service with the US Coast Guard as USCGC Pontchartrain, the ship was transferred to the Royal Navy as part of the Lend Lease scheme and renamed HMS Hartland, commissioned 30 April 1941.
HMS Hartland (Lt.Cdr. Godfrey Philip Billot, RNR) 'was sunk by gunfire off Oran Harbour during the Allied landings in North Africa. 34 of her crew went down with the ship.'
The above and the following information is an extract from the website uboat.net/allies/warships/ship which gives a detailed account of the operation to take Oran Harbour. The following describes the final action before HMS Hartland was sunk by heavy fire:
'HMS Hartland's assault on Oran harbour. When HMS Walney entered Oran harbour at 0310A/8, Lt.Cdr. Billot waited five minutes, in compliance with his orders, before heading towards the harbour entrance. As she approached the smoke screen laid by ML 480, HMS Walney was picked up by a searchlight, and came under a devastating fire from the Ravin Blanc battery which killed nearly all her guns crews and temporarily blinded Lt.Cdr. Billot with a splinter. Before he recovered his sight the ship struck the breakwater, but eventually she entered the harbour and made for her objective, the Quai de Dunkerque, under gunfire from point blank range from the destroyer Typhon laying alongside it. Shells bursting inside her hull brought her to a standstill turning her mess decks, on which the troops were waiting, into shambles. Then with fires raging fore and aft, she drifted alongside the mole but she almost immediately was blown back into the harbour where she anchored while being under heavy fire from the French but these then ceased fire so that the ship could be abandoned. By 0410A/8, all survivors had left and at 0525A/8 there was an explosion on board but she remained afloat burning furiously. She later blew up and sank after a huge explosion which caused damage to buildings in a large area around the mole. The Vichy-French at Oran capitulated around noon on the 10th.'
Kilbourne's body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial (Panel 68, Column 1).
William's brother, Leslie, served in the Great War in the 20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (56248 Private) and was killed in action on 21 September 1917. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial. (See record on this Roll of Honour)
Their brother-in-law, George William Wilson, the husband of their sister Phyllis (m. 1914) served with the Sherwood Foresters (26269 Private) and was killed in action in France on 21 March 1918. (See record on this Roll of Honour)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’, 13 March 1930. (1) ‘In memory of Joseph, died March 13th, 1929. Wife, Hetty, Bernard and Joe.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk). Also notices same date from (2) Vinnie [Lavinia], George [Brookes]. (3), Alf, Millie [Amelia m. 1926]. (4) Gladys, Fanny.
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’, 14 March 1932: (1) ‘Kilbourne. In memory of Joseph, died March 13th, 1929. wife, Hetty, Bernard, Fanny, Tommy.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk). (2) Lavinia and George [Brookes].
CWGC Additional information: Son of Joseph and Millicent Kilbourne; husband of Hester Harriett Kilbourne, of Old Radford, Nottingham.
Nottingham Evening Post, 15 March 1943: ‘Local War Casualties. Leading Stoker William J Kilbourne RN, of 22, Redoubt-street, Radford, is reported missing, and now presumed dead.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, 16 March 1943. Photograph, caption: ‘Leading Stoker WJ Kilbourne’. Report: ‘Local War Casualties. Well-known Radford Man Killed at Sea. A well-known Old Radford, Nottingham, resident, Leading Stoke WJ Kilbourne (49), husband of Mrs Kilbourne of 22 Redoubt-street, has been officially reported killed in action. He was serving in HMS Hartland, which on 8 November played an important part in the Allied landing at Oran. In this perilous action the Hartland was terribly battered by the defences and practically all the survivors were taken prisoner. Leading Stoker Kilbourne had served 25 years in the Royal Navy and was called up at the outbreak of war. He had then been employed at the Raleigh Works for some five years.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 25 March 1943: ‘Kilbourne. Lost at sea, William, 25 years RN, beloved eldest son of Millicent and late Joseph. From mother, sisters, brothers, and sisters and brothers-in-law.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’, 8 November 1944: ‘Kilbourne. William, killed in action (RN), two years ago to-day; also brother Leslie, killed September 21st, 1917. Ever in our thoughts. Mother, sisters, brothers.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’, 8 November 1945: ‘Kilbourne. In loving memory of Ldg. Sto. (Bill), my beloved husband, killed in action at sea, November 8th, 1942. Loved and longed for always. Loving wife, son, daughter and grandchildren.' (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 29 April 1948: ‘Kilborne. April 27th, Millicent, our beloved mother, passed peacefully away. They will meet again. Loving sons, daughters, in-laws, and grandchildren.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’, 27 April 1949. ‘Kilbourne. In treasured memory of my dear mother, who passed away April 27th, 1948. You often said we’d miss you, your words have since proved true. We lost the best and dearest mum, dear one, when we lost you. Her loving daughter, Phyllis (Blackpool).’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk).
Nottingham Evening Post, 'In Memoriam', 27 April 1949: from her daughters Gladys, Fan [Fanny], Vin [Lavinia] and Hetty.
Additional information/record updated, RF (Feb. 2026)
Photo of William John Kilbourne
Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial (www.cwgc.org)
Photo of William John Kilbourne
Nottingham Evening Post, 16 March 1943 (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)