William Henry Way

William Henry Way

Born on 11/12/1891 in Sergeants Lane, Tenby Pembrokeshire ; William Henry Way was the son of local fisherman and Tenby Lifeboat coxswain John Lewis Way. His mother Elizabeth Jenkins Way was the daughter of local Tenby naturalist William Jenkins and grandaughter of "Bugler" James Smith a veteran of victorian army campaigns in India. Willams father died when William was 13years old, His younger siblings were admitted to an orphanage in Bristol as his mother was struggling to cope. William now almost of work age remained in Tenby for the next few years. By 1911 he was living and working in Ynysybwl in the South Wales valleys as a collier in the Lady Windsor Colliery. Having moved to obtain work in the rapidly expanding coal industry. In 1913 William enlisted with the Yorkshire Light Regiment military serial number 1858. On 05/11/14 his youngest sister Annie ( aged 14) died in Tenby. Around this time he transferred to the York and Lancaster Regiment, military serial number 19717 landing in St Nazaire northern France. He spent the next 4 years in France apart from two brief periods of leave when he returned to Ynysybwl ( his mother was by now also living in Ynysybwl). His battalion were engaged in several battles of the Somme which he survived. He was killed in Belgium as hs battallion were moving through Belgium towards Ypres as part of the final push to end the war. He died within 16 weeks of the end of WW1. Sergeant William Henry Way is buried in Abeele Aerodrome Military Cemetery Belgium and is remembered on the Tenby and Ynysybwl WW1 memorials. His youngest sibling James Lewis Way ( my grandfather) had been released from the orphanage in Bristol in April 1918 and returned to Pembrokeshire aged 14 years old. Within a few months of leaving the orphanage he would learn of his eldest brother Williams death in WW1.

Created by: , Helen52398

  • Profile picture for William Way

    Died 1918

    British Army 19717 Private York and Lancaster Regiment

    British Army 19717 Serjeant York and Lancaster Regiment