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.