Also Served: William Starkey Chew - William Starkey CHEW
14 Moss Street, Prescot Pte 2395, 5th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment 
Picture kindly provided by John Yates, a relative of William Chew
William was born in Prescot on 16th May 1889 and was aged 19 years and 8 months when he attested to the 5th (Territorial) Bn, South Lancashire Regiment on 25th November 1909. He was single and worked as a Labourer at British Insulated & Helsby Cables Ltd and lived at 14, Moss Street, Prescot. He was the son of the late James Chew, Town Postman
By the time of the 1911 Census, William (then aged 21) recorded his occupation as a 'Capstan Machinist' at the Electric Cable Works. He still lived at 14, Moss Street, with his widowed mother Ann, aged 56, and sister Lily, aged 18. The census reported that William was one of 9 children, 8 of whom were still alive.
His service records show that he attended Annual camp each year from 1909 to 1912, finally being discharged after completing 4 years territorial service on 9th December 1912.
It appears that William joined the battalion once again on the outbreak of war, this time receiving the service number 2395 in September 1914. He sailed for France with the battalion in February 1915. At some point during his service, he was transferred to 166 Coy., Machine Gun Corps, as Private 23882. This was the company attached to the 166th brigade, to which the 1/5th South Lancs were also attached, being part of 55th West Lancs Division.
William was awarded the Military Medal "For Bravery in The Field", with his London Gazette entry dated December 1916. Although the Gazette entry refers to his number with the South Lancs, the medals are inscribed with his MGC service number. Given the date of the Gazette, it would seem likely that his award relates to action around September of 1916, at which time the 1/5th Battalion of the South Lancs were located around Delville Wood on the Somme. No record of the award can be located in the Battalion war diaries.
The pictures below, provided by John Yates, show William's Military Medal and also the medal index card
No details of William's discharge are available, but it is known that he survived the war.
His service is commemorated on the EFD Roll of Honour
In 1939, the National Register listed William living at 8 Wycherley Street, Prescot.He was employed as a Charge Hand at the Wire Works
William died, aged 90, in St Helens in 1979Ref. No.: A0139
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