William Alsin WYKES (known as Alsin)
6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment 30531
William Alsin was born in Spratton in July 1879, the son of William Wykes from a very long-established village family, and his wife Martha Elizabeth (née Martin). After his mother’s death, his father married a much younger woman, Bessie Martha Emery, also known as Betsy, and they had a child, Ernest John Roberts Wykes, in 1900. Then, after his father’s death, Bessie and Ernest moved to live with William Alsin, who worked as a boot and shoe maker. He and his step-mother, Bessie, lived as “man and wife” and had eight children, Alfred, Bert, Theresa, Sarah, William Alsin, David, Phyllis and Marion. The family lived in the High Street, Spratton.
Alsin volunteered under Lord Derby’s Scheme on 25 November 1915 and was called up on 16 June 1916 aged 36. He was on Home Service with the Bedfordshire Regiment Reserve from then until 5 January 1917 when he was posted to France.
He dislocated his knee badly on 15 February 1917 and was repatriated on 26 February. William had a history of football injuries to his knee as a young man and it continued to be swollen and painful. He was discharged as unfit on 28 May 1917 and issued with a Silver War Badge to wear at home to show that he had been wounded in the war. He also received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
In his later years he lived in Boughton and he died on 1st April 1961.
Bedfordshire Regiment badge
Bedfordshire Regiment badge
Silver War badge
Silver War badge
EXPLORE SECTIONS
MEN WHO SERVED
- Private Charles Herbert AUSTIN (known as Herbert)
- Corporal Frank AUSTIN
- Lance Corporal James William AUSTIN
- Private John Samuel AUSTIN
- Sergeant William Henry AUSTIN
- Sergeant Bertie Henry BALDERSON
- Corporal Frederick Charles BALDERSON MM
- Lance Corporal Robert Samuel BALDERSON
- Private George William BUCKBY (known as William)
- Private Henry Andrew BUCKBY
- Richard Henry Horne BUCKBY
- Transport Sergeant Thomas BUCKBY MM
- Company Quartermaster Sergeant William Gander BUCKBY
- William Archibald COPSON (known as Archibald)
- Sapper Ebenezer COPSON
- Private Ernest Edward COPSON
- Pioneer Henry Owman COPSON (known as Harry)
- Private James COPSON
- Private John William COPSON
- Private Joseph COPSON
- Private Arthur Sidney GOODEN (known as Sidney)
- Private Hugh Henry GOODEN
- Sergeant Joseph Eric GOODEN (known as Eric)
- Private Arthur Thomas HAYTER
- Driver Frank Leonard HAYTER
- Private Harold Herbert HAYTER
- Lance Corporal John Charles HAYTER DCM (known as Jack)
- Private Walter Ernest HAYTER
- Ordinary Seaman Arthur Charles HORNE
- Private John William HORNE (known as William)
- Lance Corporal Lewis HORNE
- Private Thomas HORNE
- Driver John Henry LEESON
- Corporal Joseph Henry LEESON (known as Harry)
- Thomas Baden Powell LEESON (known as ‘Bard’)
- Private Albert MANNING
- Corporal Amos MANNING
- Private Arthur Cecil MANNING
- Private George MANNING
- Sergeant George William MANNING
- Sapper Henry Stanley MANNING (known as Stanley)
- Private John Thomas MANNING
- Private John William MANNING
- Air Mechanic Nathaniel MANNING
- Driver/Saddler Samuel MANNING
- Gunner George Albert MARTIN
- Private Joseph MARTIN
- Private Thomas Henry MARTIN (known as Harry)
- Private Thomas Walter MARTIN (known as Walter)
- Pioneer Walter Ernest MARTIN
- Sergeant William Higgs MARTIN, DCM
- Private Arthur Walter PAGE
- Private Francis Samuel PAGE (known as Sam)
- Private Frank PAGE
- Private Stephen PAGE
- Lieutenant George REEVE MC MM
- Private Richard Henry REEVE (known as Harry)
- Private Samuel REEVE
- Private Sidney Philip REEVE
- Private Frederick Thomas RICHARDSON
- Private John William RICHARDSON
- Private Percy John Partridge RICHARDSON
- Private Abraham Bert SMITH
- Private Alfred SMITH
- Private Frank SMITH 46648
- Private John Samuel SMITH
- Private John William SMITH (6942)
- Private John William (William John) SMITH (8964)
- Private Charles Walter WADHAMS
- Private John Edward WADHAMS
- Private Thomas Edwin WADHAMS
- Private William WADHAMS