Latham William George 1897

William George Latham

 

1897-1964

Father Nm: George Henry Latham 1865–1914 BIRTH 1865 • Lambeth, Surrey, England. DEATH JULY 1914 • Southwark, London

Mother Nm: Lavinia Horsey 1865–1937 BIRTH APRIL 1865 • Bridgewater, Somerset, . DEATH JUN 1937 • Bermondsey

Marriage Dt: 16 Sep 1922 Parish Church of St Saviour with St Peter, Southwark

K comments: Brother Roy William Latham served with the RAF from 1941-1946  Hilda’s brother Albert G D Blinko served with the Army in WW1 and was wounded in 1917

Spouse comments: Hilda Marie Blinko [4630] born 20.07.1899 Rotherhithe St Olaves S.Q. died 31 AUG 1971 • Wandsworth, Greater London

Children. Roy William Latham 1924–1997, Derek Albert Latham
1930–1956

Born 1897

5 AUG 1897 • Lambeth

1901 Census

London Road, Southwark
George Hen Latham 36
Twina Latham 36
Winifred Lilly Latham 6
William Geo Latham 3
Frederick Edwards 1

1911 CENSUS

33 Burman St. Southwark
George Henry Latham 46
Lavinia Latham 46
Winifred Latham 16
William Latham 13
Frederick Latham 11
George Latham 6
Rose Latham 2

WW1

William George Latham, Private 3828, 721373, 2nd/24th (Queens) London Regiment, 181st Bde, 60th Division

Synopsis

William a young enthusiastic man volunteered to join the Army in 1915 he was a very young looking 17 yr old but was accepted for duty. This was perhaps because he joined a Territorial unit that was not destined for combat and as a citizen force they kept their normal occupations and trained on their own time. This was to change in 1916 when the war toll pressed for more combat troops and Territorial volunteers could change their status and serve overseas. While we have no service records for William we do know from his medal card that he was sent to France in 1916 and afterward to the Balkans and thereafter the Egyptian combat zone. One record found also indicates he was wounded in October 1916 on the Vimy Ridge front line. After a brief hospitalisation in France.  He joined his battalion in the Balkans where he was to fight until the battalion was sent in 1917 to Egypt to fight in the battles for Jerusalem and other Gaza locations.. In 1918 his unit was disbanded and he joined one of the other London Regiment Battalions and return to fight in the last 100 days of the war. William was discharged in 1919 and entitled to wear a wound stripe on his dress uniform.

• William volunteers as a Territorial for the London Queens Regiment and while underage is he was accepted. They were auxiliary, part-time citizen-soldiers of the Territorial Force who trained (drilled) weekly in their own time and otherwise led civilian lives.
• This photograph posted on Ancestry says it was taken in 1915 and he was 17 at the time. Thanks to Great War Forum members we have been able to identify from the Cap badge and the shoulder brass in a blown-up photograph that William was with the 24th Battalion London regiment. They incidentally wore the same cap badge as the Queens West Surrey Regiment which is a confusing fact for researchers. The shoulder brass is the clincher in terms of Battalion.

 

• In 1915 the 2/24th Bn were training at St Alban’s in March 1915. Went on to Braintree (May 1915) and Sutton Veny (January 1916).

1916

Note: In 1916 all Territorial soldiers were issued with new 6-digit numbers Williams being 721373

• William as a Territorial volunteer was not obliged to serve overseas but he must have signed the waiver to this rule and in June is to embark for the frontline.
• 26 June. Landed in France at le Havre.
• July. Moved to Ecurie in the Vimy Ridge Sector they first went into the front line trenches and experienced the first combat casualties. The 2/24th stayed all their time in 1916 in France in this sector sustaining 18 deaths amongst the battalion in this time.
• 24 October. On literally the last day at the front in the Vimy Sector William is reported wounded probably in relief movement which was always the most dangerous time in the trenches
• Record: First Name: W G Latham
  Resided Town: Newington Butts, S.E.
  Report Date: 24/10/1916
  Information: Listed as “Wounded” on the Casualty List issued by the War Office.
  Further Information: This man was entitled to wear a “Wound Stripe” as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916. The terms of this award are met by their naming in this list.
  Rank: Private Service Number: 3828 London Regiment
  Archive Reference: DT25101916
• November While the2/24th Bn. embarked to Salonika for Balkan’s he was most likely in hospital being treated
• 2 December. Medal records show William was to join his 2/24th Bn on the date in the Balkans.

1917

• January-June. The 2/24th Bn were fighting on the Doiran front they lost 7 men to combat in this time however Malaria was a great risk in this area.

  

• 2 July.  The 2/24th Bn. were moved to Egypt. This Middle East Campaign with fighting on the Gaza strip and for Jerusalem against Turkish forces was to be the deadliest for the 2/24th Bn. They lost 104 men killed in action in the time July 1917-June 1918 in the region. The 2/24th fought in these battles the Third Battle of Gaza, The capture of Jerusalem, The defence of Jerusalem
• 8 December. Jerusalem is captured by allied forces.
  

1918

• Note 1918 Absent Voters List shows him as Pte 721373 2/24th London Regt  24 Hurlbutt Place, Newington Butts, Southwark, London and No,20 Peabody Buildings. Southwark.
• 26.May. The 2/24th Bn deployed to France via Alexandria and Taranto and leaving the 60th Division.
• 08 July  The Bn attached to the 198th Brigade of the 66th Division at Serqueux.
• 11. September. The Bn transferred to the 173rd Brigade of the 58th Division at Guyencourt and engaged in various actions on the Western Front including;
  The Battle of Epehy, The general final advance in Artois. The battalion lost 11 men killed in action in this period
• Armistice Day.  William ended the war near Peruwelz S.E. of Tournai, Belgium.

1919

• Discharged and demobilised

Medals

Medal award roll for Pte.3828 Wm. George Latham 24th London entered theatre 1a  on 26.6.16.-2.12.16. then 2a,4b and 1a until 26.2.19. 721373.

1911 living in Southwark, 1922 married in Southwark

Sources

1. 1. Ancestry  and BFA database
   2. Clare Wright whose Ancestry tree and photographs were very helpful in documenting both the Latham and Blinko Families
   3. 24th Battalion London County Regiment  (The Queens) 

After the War

1921 Census

20 N Peabody Bldgs., St Saviour, Southwark

Lavinia	Latham	Head	Female	1866	55	Bridgwater, Somerset, England	Home Duties	–
William G	Latham	Son	Male	1897	23	Lambeth, London, England	Wholesale Stationary Guillotine Cutter	Mr C W Steadman Wholesale Stationer
Frederick E	Latham	Son	Male	1899	22	Southwark, London, England	Tailoring Trouser Presser	Mr F Hartel Tailor
George H	Latham	Son	Male	1904	16	Southwark, London, England	Office Messenger	Metropolitan Water Board

 

Meanwhile Hilda was close by at 4 Tatum St,  Newington, Southwark

First name(s)	Last name	Relationship to head	Sex	Birth year	Age in years	Birth place	Occupation	Employer
Annie	Blinko	Head	Female	1872	49	Bermondsey, London, England	Cleaner In Banker	James Pascall Blackfriars Ltd
Albert G D	Blinko	Son	Male	1894	26	Rotherhithe, London, England	Tramcar Conductor Lcc	London County Council Tramways
Hilda M	Blinko	Daughter	Female	1899	21	Rotherhithe, London, England	Wire Stitcher Box Machinist	James Pascall Furzedown Wks Mitcham
William G	Blinko	Son	Male	1908	13	Mitcham, Surrey, England	–

1922 Marriage

1924

Employment
04 Dec 1924
Stationery Cutter (from son Roy’s birth certificate)

From Clare Wright (O’Brien) “The man on the left at the back is indeed my grandfather George William Latham, and his wife, my grandmother Hilda Marie Blinko is standing in front of him. The woman to his left is his brother George Latham’s wife Edith Ettridge although I’m not sure who the slightly taller woman to her left is – maybe one of her sisters?  Then the chap with his hands in his pockets is my dad, Roy William Latham, and his brother Derek Albert Latham is the younger lad standing next to him.  The woman holding the toddler is Lily J Edwards, wife of Hilda’s brother Bill (William G Blinko), and the child is her son Gary William Blinko.  ….  It was taken around 1940, so my dad was around 16,  too young to join up as yet. ”

1939 Census

41 Heygate St  Southwark
William G Latham 42  Manufacturing Stationery
Hilda M Latham 40
Roy W Latham 15
Derek A Latham 9
Annie Blinko 67

 

Retirement

Death 1964

21 APR 1964 • South Western Hospital, Stockwell, London

Gallery

There are service records in the National archives for this person they can be viewed and downloaded from their website https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ 

Family Photograph Album

Supplied by Clare Wright (O’Brien) granddaughter, who originally shared in 2018 on Ancestry

Clare Wright (Obrien)

The two women with the little girl are Hilda Blinko and her son Derek’s widow Pam sometime in the 1960s – the little girl is me. (Clare)

I also have a bit more info for the group photo in the garden at Underhill Road in Streatham, London SE22, which was Pamela Latham’s house – she was my uncle Derek’s widow.  I think Albert Blinko must have come over then right after Hilda’s bereavement (I was a small child at the time).  L to R, it’s Edith Ettridge, her husband George Latham (brother of the newly deceased William Latham), Hilda, Pam, Lily Edwards (wife of Hilda’s other brother, confusingly also called William George), Albert  from Canada, and finally William George Blinko (always known as Bill).