Private WILLIAM H GIBBS

William Gibbs appears to have lived with his grandparents, Henry and Sarah Sherfield, from a very young age.  In 1901, when he was 3, the family was living at Bury Farm on the Farnham Road.  His grandfather was an agricultural labourer and his uncle, William, aged 21, was a labourer on the railway.  His aunt, Emily, aged 18, like his grandmother, Sarah, had no occupation recorded on the census sheet[1]. William had been born on 6 September 1897 and he attended London Road Board School from April 1905[2].

William had enlisted at Hartley Wintney[3] and was posted to the 3^rd Bn. Coldstream Guards, who were serving in France in the 1^st Guards Brigade, Guards Division.  According to his obituary in the local paper, “Pte. Gibbs was a fine young fellow, standing 6ft. high and was only 20 years old” and before the war “he was a member of staff at Winchfield Post Office.”  The circumstances of his death  “through being wounded and gassed,” are also recorded.  In November and December 1917 The Guards Division was engaged in the Battle of Cambrai and it is likely that this was where William received what proved to be fatal injuries.

William was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal[4].  He is buried in the Duisans British Cemetery at Etrun, Pas de Calais, France.