William Alfred cecil Buckland
1900-1971
Father Nm: Albert Edward Buckland 1873
Mother Nm: Elizabeth Sophia Blinco [460] born Mar Q 1871 Eton died Oct 1961 Eton
Marriage Dt: July 1933 Eton
K comments: Father served in WW1 with the Rifle Brigade. Three brothers that also served: Edward Ernest served in the 1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion and 2/4th Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Albert Frank served with 3rd and 8th Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Frederick Charles served with the 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion
Spouse comments: Elsie Wickham born 25 Jun 1907 died 1987 Windsor district
Children.
BORN 21 Apr 1900 Slough
1911 Census
9 Grays Place, Stoke Road, with Family.
WW1
Buckland William A. C. , Private, 6448999, 4th Royal Fusiliers
1918
We do not know exactly when William was enlisted but it seems likely from his high number that it was at the earliest at the end of the war in November and he may well have been sent to join the 4th Royal Fusiliers who were to part of the German occupation army based in Cologne.
1919
By January 1919 Mesopotamia was renamed Iraq by the League of Nations and the British army mandated to occupy the former Turkish territory.
- May. The 4th R Fusiliers returned to England and it may well be at this point William was conscripted/enlisted.
- 6 September. Is the date Williams service is counted for his GSM Irag medal and so maybe the day he was to join the Battalion.
- 9 September 1919 the battalion embarked on SS Neuralia. The passage took a month and the battalion disembarked at Ma’gil Wharf, Basra on 9th.October to make up the 52nd.Brigade of the 17th.Division of the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force.
source Fusiliers Museum
Based in Basra
The 4th R Fusiliers were to be based in Basra and thus started a tradition of British army presence that repeated itself 84 yrs later in the Iraq war and aftermath of 2003. It was not a peaceful occupation and many died during the Arab uprisings against the occupation. The story of the R Fusiliers time in Iraq in 1919-1921 is detailed in R Fusiliers in Iraq 1919-1921
1921
- 8 March given as date William ceases to be in Iraq. The 4th.Battalion Royal Fusiliers embarked for India on March 19th. 1921
Medals
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Awarded for operations from 10th.December 1919 to 17th.November 1920,
A] Those who served at Ramadi or north of a line east and west through Ramadi between 10th. December 1919 and 13th.June 1920.
B] Those who were present on the strength of an establishment within the boundaries of Iraq between 1st. July and 17th.November 1920.Awarded the General Service Medal with Iraq clasp
Sources
- Ancestry and BFA database
- Royal Fusiliers Museum
After the War
1939 Census
147 Northern Rd Slough. Spouse Elsie 32 occupation Painter and decorator.
Death 1971
9 May 1971, Eton, Buck