William Edward Hollis
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William Edward Hollis was born in 1892 at Balderton and was the son of William a labourer and Rosetta Hollis née Vail of Steel's Lane, Balderton. His father William was born in 1854 at Balderton and his mother Rosetta Vail was born in 1865 also in Balderton, they were married in 1885 at Newark and went on to have the following children, Lilly b1885, Rose May b1888, William b1892,Irene b1898, Thomas born 1906 and Dorothy b1910 all were born Balderton. In the 1911 census the family are living at Glovers Lane, Balderton and are shown as William Hollis 57 yrs a labourer on a sewage works, he is living with his children, Lilley 26 yrs housekeeper, William 19 yrs a blacksmiths apprentice, Irene 12 yrs a scholar, Thomas 5 yrs, Dorothy 1 year of age. In the same 1911 census we find his mother Rosetta living at Pretoria Villas, Balderton, she is living with Francis Reginald Sowter 26 yrs a structural engineer and his wife Ethel May 26 yrs and their two young children, Rosetta (shown as Rose) is 47 yrs of age and is a servant a nurse.
Private William Edward Hollis enlisted on 10th November 1914 at Newark into the territorials 8th battalion Sherwood Foresters Regiment, he was 22 yrs and 6 months of age a blacksmith for Simpson Co Ltd, Newark, he gave his address as Steels Lane, Balderton. He was discharged on 21st March 1916 under the Military Service Act 1916 and drafted on 23rd April 1916 at Derby now 23 yrs and 361 days old into the Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment). He went out to Mesopotamia in September 1916 and was killed in action on 26th January 1917, having no know grave his name is commemorated on the Amara War Cemetery, Iraq.
Article published in the Newark Advertiser 14th March 1917 :- Son of Mr & Mrs William Hollis, Steels Lane, Balderton. Apprenticed as a smith at Messrs. Simpsons, joining the 2/8th Sherwood Foresters in Oct. 1914. Subsquently drafted to the North Staffs. and went out East in Sept. 1916.
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