WW1 Casualty: Corporal 140 William Vidler - Corporal 140 William Vidler
William Vidler in a picture provided by his grandson
| Unit/Regiment |
1st/5th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment |
| Date of Death |
16/12/1917 |
Age at Death |
46 |
Burial/Memorial
& Reference |
Prescot Churchyard.
William Vidler is not commemorated by CWGC |
| Census Details |
1901 Census -
Living at 3, Carlton Street, Prescot is William Robert Vidler, a 29 year old Salesman at the Wire Works, his wife Elizabeth, 25, and daughter Marion, aged 1.
1911 census -
This shows William living at 18, Cross Street in Prescot with Elizabeth and their 5 daughters; Marion (11), Doris (9), Amy (6), Mary (4) and Lillian (1). William's occupation was now entered as 'Capping and Finishing Electric Cables' at the Wire Works.
A sixth daughter, Helen, was born in 1912 and William finally produced a son, Harry, in early 1917
|
| Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations |
William Robert Vidler was born in 1871 in Horsmonden Kent.
Marriage to Elizabeth Ackers registered Q2/1899, Prescot
Death Registered Q4/1917, aged 46, Prescot. |
| Notes |
William Vidler's wife Elizabeth was the sister of Private John Ackers, killed on 3rd May 1915 |
| Research Ref. No. |
P283 |
Service DetailsThe son of Henry and Mary (nee Blackford), William was baptised on 9th July 1871. The 1881 census shows that William's father Harry was a charcoal burner, aged 66 while William was just 9 years old. His mother, Mary, was 56 at the time. By the time of the 1891 census, William had left home and was living in Cobham, Surrey, where he worked as a Domestic Gardener.
Harry Foster, grandson of William Vidler and living in Canada, tells me, 'William was placed in service as a boy with a member of the Stanley family and only came north when family members and staff moved to Knowsley Hall due to a change in succession to the title of the Earldom. He eventually became a footman at the Hall.
Grandmother Elizabeth Ackers was the sister of John Ackers. She was placed in service at Knowsley Hall and became the telegraphist (before telephones!). Her job was to transcribe telegraph messages into copper plate written messages for the designated recipients, and hand these to a footman for delivery within the house.
Elizabeth and William were not allowed to remain on staff when they married, hence William went to work at the Wire Works'.
Elizabeth Vidler in a picture provided by William's grandson
The staff at Knowsley Hall in the 1890's, including William and Elizabeth
William and Elizabeth's daughter, Marion, was born on 22nd September 1899 and baptised at St Mary's, Prescot, on 8th November 1899. At that time, William recorded his occupation as "Butler"
William originally attested to the Territorial Force in 1900 and his army number of 140 is one of the numbers issued when the Territorial Force, of which the 1st/5th Battalion was part, was formed in 1908. His Territorial commitment required him to attend a fortnight's training camp every year.
The Battalion had in fact just started its annual training when war broke out in August 1914. It was immediately sent to Edinburgh until October, then moved to Tunbridge Wells until February 1915. It was then ordered to France, sailing on the 13th aboard s.s. King Edward, arriving at Le Havre the same day.
Over the next few days the battalion marched to billets at Le Bizet, and then undertook instruction in trench warfare. The system was for companies from a battalion to be attached to other battalions for spells in the line, before the sector was allocated to the battalion on its own. In addition to the trench duty, the battalion undertook its share of pioneer work and training in rapid fire.
The Battalion was moved around regularly without seeing action, until 28th April when it was moved to Vlamertinghe, Belgium in readiness to take part in the 1st Battle of Ypres, which had started on the 22nd.
William Vidler arrived in France on 13th February 1915 with the battalion as shown by his Medal Index Card below. This also records his award of the Silver War Badge (SWB), and the Medal Roll confirms that he was discharged on completion of his term of service.
William Vidler's entry in the Silver War Badge registers
William Vidler passed away late in 1917 in Prescot, aged 46. His death certificate, shown below, records the cause of death as Tuberculosis. Without a direct link between his reason for discharge and the cause of death, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission will not recognise William's death as being war-related and so he is not commemorated by them.
See John Ackers page for details of some memories written by Wm Vidler's daughter, Lilian, in 1993
Pictured in the Prescot Reporter in 1917
It can also be seen from the reverse of the Medal Index Card (the second image below) that on 27/11/19 his widow Elizabeth, living at 13, Cross Street, Prescot, submitted an application for a 1914-1915 Star, to which her husband was entitled.
William Vidler's Medal Index Card
The reverse of Vidler's Medal Index Card
William Vidler's Death Certificate
The Burial Register entry for William at St Mary's Churchyard
The above images show William Vidler's final resting place in the family grave at St Mary's Churchyard, Prescot. The pictures have been kindly provided by the Friends of Prescot Cemetery and Churchyard
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