William Alfred Williamson was born on 19 October 1878 in Radcliffe on Trent the son of Walter Williamson, a butcher, and Mary Ann Stokes, Walter’s third wife. The first son to survive, he had a half-sister Annie (by his father’s first wife Hannah Gilbert) who was aged 20 when he was born and was swiftly followed by Walter, Grace Emily and Fred.
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| Walter Williamson |
Sadly his mother died shortly after Fred’s birth in 1883 and
Fred was sent to a Mrs Parr, a relative, to be nursed as his father could not
look after him. Apparently Mrs Parr was
partly paid in meat. His father engaged
a housekeeper and never re-married.
William (or Billy as he was known to his brother Fred) got a
job as groom to a local doctor when he left school. His reminscences show that he wanted to join
the Navy but wasn’t tall enough – he never grew above 5ft 6ins - and his
brother recounted how he had a disagreement with the doctor one day and lost
his job. This may have influenced his
decision to join the Army and he signed up on 31st December 1896
with his Army career officially starting at Leicester on 1st January
1897 as Private W A Williamson regimental number 4877 of the Leicestershire
Regiment.
