10th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
William Stevens was the son of William and Elizabeth Stevens of Whiteshill, Stroud. He was baptised at Whiteshill on 10 February 1896. The surname was spelt Stephens and the vicar noted that they were gypsies. William was one of six children of whom five were living at the 1911 Census.
At the time of the 1901 Census, the family were living at Kings Street, Minchinhampton. William, 30, was born in Aldershot. His occupation was a general labourer. Elizabeth was also 30, born in Hounslow and trading as a general hawker. Their eldest son Samson was born in Hounslow with William and brother John born in Minchinhampton. A sister, Gladys was born in 1904 and a brother Matthew in 1903.
At the 1911 Census, the family were still at Minchinhampton. William (senior) was now a roadman working for Stroud Rural District Council as was John. No occupation is given for 17-year-old William.
Steven’s service records survive. He attested on 31 December 1914 – 15 days short of his 20th birthday, He served in France with the Expeditionary Force from 9 August 1915 until 3 October 1916. His casualty form shows that he suffered gunshot wounds to the left hand on 14 October 1915. Almost a year later, on 24 September 1916, Stevens suffered a severe spinal injury in the field having been shot in the back. He was taken to the King George Hospital, Stamford Street, London on 4 October 1916 where he was diagnosed with spinal paraplegia.
The War Diary entry for the 10th Glosters covering 21 to 24 September 1916 recorded the following:-
Location: High Wood (Somme)
Took over front line from 1st Cameronians and discovered that the German line opposite had been evacuated. Consequently, we took possession of it and dug an advance front line about 100 yards in front of it. During this period out casualties amounted to about 50 Other Ranks.
This figure could include William Stevens.
A medical board report of 14 February 1917 stated that Stevens was permanently unfit for both war and home service. He was finally discharged on 7 March 1917. It may be presumed that William returned home where he subsequently died.
The Remembering Rodborough website states that he was a 20-year-old labourer from Kingscourt and a family of travellers. He enlisted in December 1914 and sustained a gunshot wound to the spine in 1916. He was discharged in 1917 with life changing injuries on 26 December 1918. (This was the date he was buried according to the burial register.)
The Register of Soldier’s Effects shows a war gratuity of £9 10s – split between his father and Edward Goodwin (funeral director?). These payments were not made until 1920.
The Pension Ledger states that Stevens died on 19 December 1918, aged 23, from complete paralysis of both legs. No details of a pension paid to his mother are given.
The CWGC has a death date of 26 December 1918 which is engraved on his headstone at St Mary Magdalene Church, Rodborough.
His brother Matthew, who was said to be only eight at the 1911 Census, enlisted with the Army at Stroud in November 1916 – aged 18. Unfortunately, he was found to be very incontinent, a problem since childhood, and was said to be ‘feeble minded’. The Army decided he wasn’t fit for service and he was discharged the following April.
William’s brother, John, served with the 1st Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. He was awarded the MM and was an acting Lance Corporal by the time he was demobilised in April 1919.
Researched by Helen Wollington November 2020