William Cannon MASON
William was born in Weeting in about 1870, the son of James (a police constable) and Ann Mason.
By 1881 the family had moved to Burnham Westgate and in 1888 William joined the army. His service is summarised below:
Corps |
Battalion or Depot |
Details |
Rank |
Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Royal Artillery |
Great Yarmouth |
Enlisted, age 19, trade grocer |
|
30 November 1888 |
|
Depot |
attested |
gunner |
30 November1888 |
|
1st Brigade London Division |
transferred |
gunner |
2 March 1889 |
|
8th London |
reorganization |
|
1 July 1889 |
|
|
appointed |
Bombardier |
21 February 1890 |
|
|
Granted GC Pay |
|
30 November 1890 |
|
Eastern Division |
reorganization |
|
1 August 1891 |
|
|
promoted |
bombardier |
31 October 1891 |
|
Aldershot |
Qualified as Assistant Instructor army signalling |
|
3 June 1892 |
|
|
Reverted at his own request |
gunner |
4 December 1894 |
|
|
Awarded GC pay |
|
4 December 1894 |
Eastern Division |
Sub depot |
posted |
|
21 December 1894 |
|
2 depot |
|
|
1 April 1895 |
|
Sec 'B' |
transferred |
|
1 December 1895 |
South Division |
15 |
|
|
13 November 1899 |
|
|
appointed |
Acting bombardier |
26 March 1900 |
|
1 Depot |
posted |
|
31 July 1900 |
Eastern Division |
1 Depot |
posted |
|
25 November 1900 |
Dover |
|
Discharged term 1st period |
|
29 November 1900 |
|
|
War gratuity paid £6-5-0 |
|
|
For his service in South Africa William was awarded the South Africa 99 medal with clasps for serving in Paardeberg, Dreifontain and the Cape Colony |
|
William married Alice Sims of Watford, Hertfordshire on 11 May 1898. The 1901 census shows the couple living in Garston, Watford. Alice died in 1907.
On 3rd July 1908, William remarried. His new wife, Annie, was a widow with two girls - Eleanor born in 1902 and Dorothy born in 1905.
Following the start of the Great War, William rejoined the army. It must have helped Annie's peace of mind that he spent the duration in bases in the UK:
Corps |
Battalion or Depot |
Details |
Rank |
Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
|
Watford |
Enlisted |
|
1 October 1914 |
RGA |
depot |
attested |
gunner |
12 Oct 1914 |
|
|
appointed |
Act bdr |
12 Oct 1914 |
|
18 Co |
posted |
Act bdr |
24 Oct 1914 |
|
15 Co |
posted |
|
30 Dec 1914 |
|
|
promoted |
bombadier |
31 Dec 1914 |
|
No 2 depot |
posted |
|
23 June 1915 |
|
Prov Batt Portsmouth |
posted |
|
2 July 1915 |
|
|
appointed |
Act sarg |
12 July 1916 |
|
37 co |
posted |
|
28 July 1917 |
|
67 co |
posted |
|
22 Dec 1917 |
|
|
reverted |
Cpl (acting rank) |
8 Feb 1918 |
|
|
reverted |
Bdr |
9 Dec 1918 |
|
Dover |
Discharged |
|
23 Feb 1919 |
The information presented here has been derived from surviving public and military records as well as from contemporary press reports. We hope you find it of interest ‐ if you think we have made an error, or can add any further details, please get in touch.