William Green of Ditchling

William Green of Ditchling

Taken from Street by Street exhibition by Ditchling History Project, November 2018. For more information contact [email protected] High Street William Green William was the son of Alfred and Mary Green. He was christened at St Margaret’s Church on 1st July 1888 and grew up in the High Street living with his cousins, George and Maurice Killick. William married Florence Hemsley in 1912 and his daughter Edna was born in the following year. On 1st September 1914 William joined the 3rd Royal Sussex Regiment; he was 26 years old and had previously been working as a hotel porter in Brighton. Just one month later, however, he was discharged on the grounds that he was ‘not likely to become an efficient soldier’ due to defective eyesight – he was blind in one eye. Despite his condition, and with the ongoing demand for men to join the forces, he was called up again and in May 1916 went out to France with the 21st Duke of Cambridge Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment. William was wounded and died on November 24th 1917. His grave is in Rocquigny-Equancourt Cemetery which lies in the Somme area of France. He is commemorated on Ditchling War Memorial.

Created by: , All159328

  • Born 1888

    Died 1917

    British Army 12111 Private Royal Sussex Regiment

    British Army G/40345 Private Middlesex Regiment 21st Battalion