William John Bridge

A Private with 7th Battalion, William died on 8th of November 1915 at the age of 26.

William was born at Pakefield on 25 April 1889, a son of Mary Ann Bridge. He was baptised at Saint John’s Church, Lowestoft, on 7 July 1889 and his family lived at 4 Bourne Terrace, Alexandra Road, Kirkley. In 1891 he lived with his grandparents, Henry and Harriet Bridge, at Bourne Terrace, 4 Alexandra Road. From 26 June 1893 William was a pupil at Cunningham School.  

By 1901 William’s mother had married William Beamish, and the family lived at Florence Road, Pakefield. His mother died in 1905. 

William volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment and was posted to the 7th Battalion, arriving in France on 4 October 1915 to join the Battalion. 

Military records show that William was killed in action on 8 November 1915, however the 7th Battalion War Diary does not mention any casualties for the period 5 to 15 November 1915 and during that time the Battalion were in a rest area.

Also, memorial notice, placed in the Thetford and Watton Times, 28 October 1916, page 3, by ‘Ruth’, states that William was killed in action on 31 October 1915. On that date the Battalion were in front line trenches, including Big Willie and Crown Trench, and they were attacked with ‘large torpedoes and minenwerfers.’

From the records available it is not possible to say whether William was killed on 31 October or 8 November, but, based on information that must have been sent to his relatives, and reproduced in the memorial notice, it is most likely that it was on 31 October.   

William’s legatees were his mother’s sister, Annie Pointer, of 16 Prospect Place, Lowestoft, and Miss Esther Ruth Last.