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Pte. William Manfield Fairman
British Army 9th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment
from:Horfield, Bristol
William Fairman was born on 8th January 1898 to William Francis and Emma Jane Fairman (nee Manfield)in Kingsdown, Bristol. Known as Billy to his family and attended Stokes Croft Endowed School, Bristol. He moved with his family to Horfield, Bristol in about 1912.
Billy enlisted at Horfield Barracks on 11th December 1915 giving a false date of birth. He was assigned to the 9th Service Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. His employment prior to his enlistment was a Grocer (canteen work. His height was 5'2" with a chest measurement of 34" when expanded. Billy was at home 24 Filton Road, Horfield from 5th September 1916 to 18th January 1917 as his mother was ill. Emma dies of pneumonia in the last quarter of 1916.
From 19th January 1917 he was part of the Salonika Campaign with his battalion. He fought at the Battle of Dorian in Salonika and suffered gunshot wounds to the face and head on 24th or 25th April 1917 and spent 2 months in an army hospital. Upon his discharge from the hospital he suffered fainting attacks but never actually fainted and never felt "quite strong". He was then transferred to the 49th General Hospital in Salonika arriving on 18th August 1917 whereupon they found he had a heart problem - an aortic valve problem. One of his doctors was a Captain Tomlinson. Billy was at the 49th GH until 9th October 1917 when he was transferred to the 50th General Hospital at Kalamaria in Salonika. Finally on 27th November 1917 he was recommended for invaliding and he was sent to Valetta, Malta to await a hospital ship to transport him back to England. He apparently loved the people and Malta during his time there. He was transferred from Malta on 21st February 1918 aboard HMHS Wandilla arriving back in England on 24th February 1918. His medical transfer certificate signed by Captain J C Scott RAMC shows Billy had VDH - vascular disease of the heart.
Billy was finally discharged unfit from the Army on 3rd May 1918. His Field Medical Card shows he served for 1 year and 242 days in the Army and was a good steady intelligent man. The time spent during the First World War never left Billy's mind although he would very rarely talk about his experiences. He married, had a child and had a happy but short life dying of heart disease in 1949 aged 51
