William John Elliot

Rank: Private

Regiment: 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment

Parents: Mr John Robert  and Catherine Mrs (Kate) E Elliott (Nee Bolingbroke)

Parents-in-Law: Mr James William & Mrs Eunice Beney

Brothers-in-Law: James George Beney, Ernest Beney, Percy Beney, Arthur Beney,  Frederick George Paine & George Holder

Wife: Mrs Eunice Elliot

Address: Old London Road, Ore

Other Info: Wounded.

An article published in the Hastings & St Leonards Observer dated 3rd October 1914 reads: “Private William Elliott, of the Royal Sussex, whose relatives are at Carlisle Villas, Hastings, has been shot in the knee, and is at present at Cambridge.

Private Elliott was about 12 yards away from Captain Slater when that popular officer was killed, and he was wounded in the same battle.

In a letter from the hospital at Trinity College, Cambridge, he says: “I am getting on a well as possible but am still very weak yet, after the terrible times I have been through. God only knows how I came through such an ordeal. A fortnight ago today I never thought I should get back to dear old England again.

I have got some awful news to tell you when I do meet you again, about those brutal Germans but, thank God, I have the pleasure, the honour, of killing at least ten of them with my dear old rifle. It did please me to see the drop dead shot by us British boys.”

Mr Elliott’s knee has been very painful, but is better. It will, however, be some little time before he is able to return to Hastings. In his previous letters he described is experiences in the field, and how often being picked up he and his wounded comrades were brought away from the front in trains that ‘nearly shook them to pieces’ which was unavoidable but very painful in their wounded state.

Mr Elliott is a reservist, who served three years with the Colours. He has only been away eight weeks.

Published: September 1914 & January 1915

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