Pte 13th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers - William George Vickery
William George Vickery was born in July 1894 in Bridgwater to brickyard worker George Vickery and Mary Jane Phillips. In 1901 they lived in 1 Duddridges Buildings on Rhode Lane. George probably worked in one of the brickyards around Somerset Bridge. William had an older sister Lily. Duddridge's buildings still stand, and is a terrace of simple two-storey brick cottages.
By 1911, aged 16, William was working as a general labourer in a brickyard, like his father. His sister was a machine stitcher in one of the town's shirt collar factory. Their mother had died in 1910. Living with them was their grandmother Sarah Philips, aged 91. Before the war William had moved to South Wales to take up work up as a miner.
William's war service is somewhat obscure, although his unit, the 13th Battalion saw heavy fighting on the western front throughout the war. He died of tuberculosis in Britain 28 November 1919 aged 26, having outlived the end of the conflict.
Each of the war stories on our website have been updated in our book, Bridgwater and the First World War.
We would dearly like to hear from anyone with more information, or even a picture of William.