William Edward Gordon - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Anson Battalion, Royal Navy Division

Able Seaman William Edward Gordon - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Anson Battalion, Royal Navy Division

Birth and Family Background

William Edward Gordon was born in 1887 in Swansea, the son of Henry Gordon and Mary Elizabeth Trueman, who were married in 1866 at Burton upon Trent.

1891 Census

At the time of the 1891 Census, the family were residing at 121 New Oxford Street, Swansea. Henry, aged 45, was employed as a cooper, and his Derbyshire-born wife Mary Elizabeth was 47. Their children included John H., 23 (also a cooper); Susan R., 20 (a tailoress); Florence E., 18; Mary E., 16; Charles W., 9; Albert J., 7; William E., 4; and John, 2.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 138 Lower Oxford Street, Swansea. Henry, now 60, remained a cooper, while Elizabeth was recorded as 57. The children at home included Ann, 23 (a laundress); Charles, 19 (a baker); Albert, 17 (an electrician); William, 13; John, 12; and Richard, 8.

1911 Census

Henry died in 1902, and by the 1911 Census the remaining family were residing at 172 Oxford Street, Swansea. Elizabeth, aged 57, was living with her sons William, 24, and John, 22, both employed as fuel workers, and Richard, 18, who was a behinder.

Military Service

William enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and served as an Able Seaman with the Anson Battalion, Royal Navy Division. The Royal Navy Division, composed largely of reservists and naval personnel, fought as infantry on the Western Front.

Operations – 4^th June 1917

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

The British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records confirm that William was killed in action on 4^th June 1917.

On that date, the Anson Battalion was engaged during the Battle of Arras, holding front-line positions in the fiercely contested sector around Oppy Wood and Gavrelle. Although no major assault was launched that day, the battalion was heavily involved in trench defence, patrols, and the consolidation of newly captured ground under constant German artillery and machine-gun fire.

The fighting during this period was intensely attritional. Casualties were sustained daily from shelling, snipers, and enemy counter-attacks. Trenches were repeatedly damaged or destroyed, communications were unreliable, and movement across exposed ground was extremely hazardous. It was during this difficult and costly phase of operations that William lost his life.

Burial and Commemoration

William Edward Gordon is buried at Ste. Catherine British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, where many men of the Royal Navy Division who died during the Arras fighting are laid to rest.