WILLIAM FREDERICK STICKELLS

Driver T2/14346

Army Service Corps

(attached 162nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery)

who died on 3 November 1916 Age 25

William Stickells was the son of George and Annie Stickells. George came from Tenterden, where William was born, and Annie from Maidstone. By the time of the 1901 census the family had moved to Godmersham, and by 1911 they were at Crouch Corner, near Boughton and William was working as an agricultural labourer, as were his two brothers. They later moved to Wood View, Stoney Road, Dunkirk.

William enlisted into the Army Service Corps in October 1914 and went to France in May 1915, where he was attached as a driver to the Royal Field Artillery. He was admitted to 21 Casualty Clearing Station on 21 October 1916 and died on 3 November of Addisons Disease, a rare, chronic condition brought about by the failure of the adrenal glands.

He is remembered with honour at La Neuville British Cemetery, Corbie, Somme, France, where his grave reference number is II. F. 40. In April 1916, No.21 Casualty Clearing Station came to La Neuville and remained there throughout the 1916 Battles of the Somme, until March 1917. La Neuville British Cemetery was opened early in July 1916. Most of the burials date from this period; Neuville British Cemetery contains 866 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.

He is also remembered with honour at the War Memorial at Dunkirk Church.