William Charles Campany

Rank: Private

Regiment: ‘A’ Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment

Parents: Mr Frank and Mrs Emma Campany (Nee Herrion)

Brothers: Herbert Walter Campany & Frederick J S Campany

Address: 30 Cambridge Gardens, Hastings

Other Info: Machine Gun Section. Wounded at the Battle of Aisne. According to CWGC, William died aged 23 on 25th September 1915. He is remembered at St Mary’s ADS Cemetery, Haisnes, grave reference V.C.18.

An article in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer provides the following information:

HASTINGS MACHINE GUNNER KILLED

Sergeant W H Webb (machine gun section, 2nd Royal Sussex) in a letter to Mrs Campany, 30 Cambridge Gardens, describes how the latter’s son Private W Campany was killed.

He says: – “I was the sergeant in charge of his gun on the 25th (November), we got forward right up to the enemies’ wire and then got orders to retire. We started crawl back and your son was hit by a bullet and I lost sight of him. Two privates and myself were the only ones to get back safe, the others were either killed or wounded.

The following day as I was walking round I found your son’s body; he had been shot in the neck. I take it he was just going to have a smoke as he had a packet of Woodbines in his hand. I am very sorry to say I did not have time to bury him as we were relieved from the trenches the same afternoon.

As we were coming up to the trenches last week I happened to come across a grave and to my great surprise it was Willie’s; he had been buried by the Black Watch. So I got two men to cut some turf and put over the grave, also another cross and some white stones and shell cases all round to make it look respectable. I was all I could do for him.

His death was a great loss to me as he was our oldest gunner. I miss him very much as we were always together in and out the trenches. He was also greatly liked by all the section and they send their deepest sympathy to you”

Published: November 1914 & October 1915

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