Born on 2nd November 1888 at Stoke Newington, the son of William Robert (General Manager to Railway Agent Carrier), and Emily E. Peppiatt. An Old Bancroftian. 1901: At Maglona Villa, Derby Road, South Woodford with his family. 1911: A Superior Apprentice Clerk at Euston with the London & North Western Railway, which he had joined on 4th Febrary 1907, and still lived at Maglona Villa. He was Secretary to the Young Peoples Guild of Work connected to the Parish Church, and helped at the Bancroft’s Mission in the Docks. He was known as a runner in the field of athletics, and a pianist in the world of music. His father who died in 1914 was Secretary to the committee which administered the Memorial Hall, but had suffered ill health for some time due to a nervous breakdown.
A keen Territorial from 1912, William volunteered for overseas service, embarking for France from Southampton during 4th November 1914. He was in Le Havre on 5th November and St Omer on 7th November. The Battalion subsequently took part in attacks on Ploegsteert Wood in Belgium, and had contact with the opposing German troops from Saxony during the 1914 Christmas truce; this was evidenced by letters home from John Gray, a colleague and fellow Old Bancroftian. William Peppiatt sustained a gunshot wound to the head while in the trenches near to Ploegsteert on 4th December 1915 and died the following day. The cemetery in which he is buried takes its name from the 22 burials of the London Rifle Brigade dating from January, February and March 1915. A memorial service was held for him at Woodford Parish Church.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Principal Sources:
Ancestry.com
Woodford Times
The Bancroftian 1915, Simon Coxall
For more information on this individual please see The Old Bancroftian website.