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Sgt. William Dykes
British Army 9th Btn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers
from:Haslington
(d.18th April 1918)
William Dykes lived at 132 High Street, Haslington and enlisted in Crewe on 29th of November 1915 giving his age as 19 years and 4 months, he gave the wrong age (as was common) and had been born in 1898 so he was only 17 at the time. His father William was a carter for the co-op stores and William worked in the train sheds at Crewe.
He fought in the War for 2 years and 141 days and was wounded and hospitalised on two occasions. He was promoted in the field to Sergeant on 20th of October 1917. He was granted leave at the end of March 1918 and was killed on his return less than three weeks later. His recorded death was the 18th of April however he was likely to have been killed before this as this was the day the Welch Fusiliers were relieved and this is when he would have been reported as missing in action. The fury of the battle was on the 14th and 15th and William's body was never found.
His name is on the memorials at Tyne Cot memorial in Belgium (along with 35,000 other unfound soldiers) Haslington Town Memorial and the Crewe Railway Workers Memorial now in the first class lounge at Crewe station.
