William Tucker

Corporal William Tucker – Royal Engineers, 319^th Road Construction Company

Early Life

Little is currently known about the early life of William Tucker, whose name appears on the St. Paul’s War Memorial, Sketty. Further research into census records, birth registrations, and local archives may help to identify his family background and place of origin.

Family

Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects

The Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects records that William’s wife was Averil Ruby Tucker, who was listed as his next of kin. No further details are available at present, but this information provides a starting point for tracing his personal connections and possible residence before enlistment.

Military Service

William Tucker served as a Corporal with the Royal Engineers, 319^th Road Construction Company. The Royal Engineers played a vital logistical and engineering role throughout the First World War, constructing and maintaining essential infrastructure for the British Expeditionary Force.

The 319^th Road Construction Company was responsible for building and repairing roads, transport routes, and supply lines that enabled the movement of men, artillery, and equipment near the front. These operations were often carried out under hazardous conditions, with the men working close to the front lines and frequently exposed to enemy shellfire.

By September 1917, the company was active in Belgium during the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). Engineering units such as Tucker’s were tasked with keeping communication and transport routes open across the waterlogged and shell-damaged landscape of Flanders, a vital but perilous duty that sustained the Allied offensive.

Death

Corporal William Tucker died on 25^th September 1917, during one of the most intense periods of the campaign at Ypres. Although the circumstances of his death are not recorded, it likely occurred while he was serving in support of front-line operations in the region.

Burial

William Tucker
La Clytte Military Cemetery
credit - findagrave

William Tucker is buried at La Clytte Military Cemetery, Belgium. The cemetery, established by field ambulances and engineering units behind the lines, now contains the graves of soldiers and support personnel who served in the Ypres Salient.

Legacy

Corporal Tucker’s name is commemorated on the St. Paul’s War Memorial, Sketty, among those who gave their lives during the First World War. Though little personal information survives, his service with the Royal Engineers reflects the courage and endurance of those who laboured to keep the front supplied and connected under constant danger. His contribution, like that of many in similar roles, was essential to the success of the armies he served.