William Bainbridge
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
William was born in 1886 in Nottingham and was the son of William a gas meter inspector and Elizabeth Bainbridge née Greenfield. His father William was born in 1862 in Lambley and his mother Eliza Greenfield was born in 1860 in Nottingham, they were married in 1880 , their marriage was recorded in the Nottingham Registration district. They had 6 children , sadly one died in infancy prior to 1911, their children were all born in Nottingham and were Mabel b1882, Ada b1884, William b1886 George b1888 and Sarah Ann b1890. His sister Mabel was married in Nottingham in 1904 to James Henry Smeeton together they had a child Stanley born in 1910 , however James Smeeton also died in 1910 aged 30 yrs In the 1911 census the family are living at 7 Richmond Ave, Wells Road, Nottingham and are shown as :- William 49 yrs head of the family a gas meter inspector, he is living with his wife Elizabeth 51 yrs a housekeeper and their children , Mabel Smeeton 29 yrs a widow a blouse and shirt maker, William 25 yrs a house painter George Edward 23 yrs a market gardener, Sarah Ann 21 yrs a pattern girl and Stanley Smeeton 1 yrs old grandson. In 1913 William married his wife Elizabeth Scottorn, their marriage is recorded in the Nottingham Registration district , they went on to have a daughter Ethel born in 1913.
William enlisted in Nottingham , he served with the 1st battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. He joined the British Expeditionary Force in France on 13th August 1914, he was reporting missing in action on 8th November 1914 later presumed killed in action on that date. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium
The battalion war diary for 8th November 1914: “Nov. 8th. 4 a.m. received order to hold the line at all costs. Intermittent shelling & rifle fire throughout the day. About 5.30 p.m. the enemy left their trenches & charged our right. During the day our fire from our trench had been withheld. When the enemy charged a heavy rifle & machine gun fire was brought to bear on them & coming in the nature of a surprise did great execution & the enemy were repulsed with heavy losses. During the night the R.E. strengthen the position.” Obituaries published in the Nottingham Evening Post dated 10th January 1916:- “BAINBRIDGE. - Reported missing November 8th, 1914, now reported killed, Pte. W. Bainbridge, A Company, 1st Northumberland Fusiliers. We never knew what pain he had; we never saw him die; we only know he passed away without a chance to say good-bye. - From his wife [Elizabeth] and child. “BAINBRIDGE. - Missing since 8th November, 1914, now officially reported killed in action on the above date, 246, Pte. W. Bainbridge,1st Northumberland Fusiliers, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Bainbridge, Kirk-road, Mapperley, aged 29 years. - From his sorrowing father, mother, brother and sisters Above battalion war diary entry and obituaries courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918.
