William Valentine Coleman

A Private with 2nd Bn., William died on 25th of September 1915 at the age of 28. 

William was born at Ramsgate in 1887, a son of William Danton and Martha Coleman. He was baptised at Saint George's Church, Ramsgate, on 10 April 1887, and his family lived at 22 Liverpool Lawn, Ramsgate. In 1891 his family lived at 64 Maygrove Place, Great Yarmouth. By 1901 William's father had died and his family lived at 9 Stevens Street, Lowestoft. By 1911 they were living at 77 Norwich Road, Lowestoft, and later his mother lived at 36 Denmark Road, Lowestoft.

William volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Chelsea. He joined the Royal Sussex Regiment and was posted to the 2nd Battalion, arriving in France on 1 May 1915. It is probable that he joined the Battalion, at Oblinghem, on 10 May 1915, as one of a draft of 120 reinforcements. 

On 24 September 1915 the 2nd Battalion moved into trenches near Vermelles in preparation for the forthcoming attack. On 25September the Battalion moved to positions at Bayou, near Hulluch. Once the attack had begun the Battalion were to move into the British front line and occupy the trenches vacated by the two battalions that had moved off ahead of them. At 6.30 a.m. the assaulting battalions moved off and the 2nd Battalion moved forward. Dense smoke made it impossible to see what was happening in front of the Battalion. A Company commander then decided to advance toward the German lines and they soon found that the wire had not been cut: all of the officers and men that reached the wire were either killed or wounded and the machine-gun section wiped out. I front of the 2nd Battalion the Germans were still holding their front line in strength. Supporting attacks from 'Green Force' took place during the day and about 3.40 p.m. the Germans in front of the 2nd Battalion surrendered. Th remnants of the Battalion then entrenched themselves in the old German front line until relieved at about 3 a.m. on 26 September.

In that day the Battalion's casualties mounted to 19 officers and 600 men, of which 183, including William, were known to have been killed in action. For that action Sergeant Wells, of William's Battalion, was awarded the Victoria Cross and his citation gives us an idea of what William would have experienced:

"For the most conspicuous bravery near Le Routoire on the 25th September, 1915. When his platoon officer had been killed, he took command and led his men forward to within 15 yards of the German wire. Nearly half the platoon were killed or wounded, and the remainder very much shaken, but with the utmost coolness and bravery Sergeant Wells rallied them and led them forward. Finally when very few were left, he stood up and urged them forward once more, but while doing so he himself was killed. He gave a magnificent display of courage and determination."

William, along with four other men of the 2nd Battalion, was buried at map reference G.23.A.6.5. By 1920 they had been reburied at Dud Corner Cemetery, Loos. 

William's brother-in-law, Alexander Summers, died in the loss of the trawler Incentive in 1915. His sister, Susan Hambly, died in an air raid in 1942.