Biography of Private William Elfleet Close (31105)
5th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Formerly 22780 Northamptonshire Regiment
Died 9th October 1918

Soldier

  • Name: William Elfleet Close
  • Date of birth: 1881
  • Place of Birth: Edenham, Lincolnshire, England
  • Date of Birth Registration: July – September 1881
  • Place of Birth Registration: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England

Father

  • Name: Thomas Close
  • DOB: 1849
  • Place of Birth: Colly Weston, Northamptonshire, England
  • Occupation: Farmer

Mother

  • Name: Catherine Elfleet
  • DOB: 1853
  • Place Of Birth: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England
  • Marriage: 24th May 1877 Bourne, Lincolnshire, England

Siblings: (Name), (DOB), (POB)

  • Arthur Thomas Elfleet Close, 1878, Stamford
  • Evelyn Mary Catherine Close, 1879, Easton
  • Charlotte Augusta Close, 1880, Easton
  • William Elfleet Close, 1881, Edenham
  • Mary Close, 1883, Edenham

Census

  • 1891: William is living with his parents in Edenham, Lincolnshire.
  • 1901: William is living with the Harriman family at Campbell Steet, Heanor, Derbyshire. The census gives him an age of 19 and he is listed as a grocer assistant.
  • 1911: William can not be found as of yet.
Relatives in services

  • None found

Marriage

  • No marriage for William has been found and we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

  • Northampton Chronicle and Echo Saturday 19th August
    WOUNDED
    (All Northamptonshire Regiment; Private unless otherwise stated)
    Close, 22790, Lance-Corpl, W. E.

 

  • Northampton Mercury Friday 25th August 1916
    LOCAL CASUALTIES
    Northamptons Lose Heavily.
    LUEUT. COL. E. R. MOBBS WOUNDED.
    The casualty list this week is again a heavy one, containing the names of several hundred officers and men, mainly of the Northamptonshire Regiment, one battaion having been engaged in very heavy fighting north of the Somme.
    Among the offices wounded is Lieut.-Colonal E. R. Mobbs, who has been slightly hit in the shoulder.  The full list is as follows:-
    WOUNDED
    Close, 22780, Lance-Corpl W. E.

Military Records

Attestation Papers

  • None found

Soldier’s Died In The Great War

  • These records show that Private William Elfleet Close, 31105, 5th Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regiment was killed in action on 9th October 1918 in the Western European Theatre in France and Flanders.

Pension Records

  • Available

Effects Left To

  • Mother Catherine

Medals

  • The British Medal
  • The Victory Medal

Memorials

  • UK:
  • Bourne, Roll of Honour in Bourne Abbey Church
  • Bourne War Memorial in the Memorial Gardens

 

  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
  • In memory of Private William Elfleet Close, 31105, 5th Bn., Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regiment who died on 9 October 1918 Age 37
  • Son of Thomas and Catherine Close, of 3, Elm Terrace, North Rd., Bourne, Lincs
  • Remembered with honour, St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen
  • Grave S. II. Q. 13

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

Military Service Timeline

  • Enlisted in Northampton

 

  • This is ongoing research and will be posted when completed

Sources

  • WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
  • British Newspaper Archive.
  • Fold 3
  • Find My Past
  • Genealogist
  • Forces War Records
  • British Army Service Numbers
  • War Gratuity Calculator
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  • National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
  • General Registry Office