William Frank Stebbings

A Private with the 7th Battalion, William died on 28th of April 1917 at the age of 19. 

William was born at Lowestoft in 1897, a son of Henry Herbert and Katherine Stebbings. In 1901 his family lived at 160 Clapham Road, but the 1901 Census shows William staying with his aunt, Ellen Stebbings, at 26 Ferry Lane, Gorleston. In 1911 his family lived at 1 Holly Road, Oulton Broad, and William worked as a house painter, probably with his father. 

William enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 2607, and was posted to the 1/4th Battalion in France and, subsequently he was posted to the 7th Battalion, service number 43059, and served with A Company.  

Colonel Murphy’s ‘The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927’ has the following account of the 7th Battalion’s part in the attack on the front between the Scarpe and Monchy (near Arras), known as the Battle of Arleux, on 28 April 1917, pages 233-4:

The battalion, going over the top at 4.35 a.m. to attack the new Blue Line, passed through the 5th Royal Berkshire Regiment, who had captured Bayonet trench and also some 150 yards of Rifle trench. They immediately came under a most devastating machine-gun fire from Rouex, which the troops operating on the north side of the river had not yet taken, and suffered very heavy losses. Portions of the various companies managed to reach the first objective but were unable to gain further ground. All the officers except the colonel and the adjutant have been killed or wounded, these small parties returned to the Black Line as soon as it grew dark and at 1 a.m. the battalion, now reduced to 190 effective men, withdrew to the support line. 

The battalion’s casualties were:
Officers three killed, one died of wounds, four wounded
Other ranks: 89 killed and an unknown number wounded or missing

William was reported wounded and missing on 28 April and later presumed to have died of wounds on that date.

Note his names are given as William Frank on all civilian and military records.

William's father also served in the Army during World War One.