William Thorne – Royal Artillery, 301 Battery, 98 Heavy Anti‑Aircraft Regiment

Gunner William Thorne – Royal Artillery, 301 Battery, 98 Heavy Anti‑Aircraft Regiment

Early Life

Sidney John Thorne and Hannah Williams marriage certificate Parish Church, Llansamlet, Swansea

Born in 1910 at Swansea, William Thorne was the son of Sidney John Thorne and Hannah Williams, who married in 1892 at the Parish Church of Llansamlet, Swansea. His childhood was rooted in the industrial communities of Foxhole and Kilvey, where furnace work and tinplate labour shaped daily life.

Family Life (1911 Census)

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the Thorne family were living at 37 Kilvey Road, Foxhole, Swansea. Sidney John, aged 41, Devon‑born, worked as a Furnaceman, while his wife Hannah, aged 39, managed the household. Their children present were Gladys (17), John (13), Blodwin (11), Irene (9), Ivor (7), Martinus (5), and William (1), forming a large and busy family typical of the district’s working communities.

Family Life (1921 Census)

1921 Census

By 1921, the family were still residing at No. 37 Kilvey Road. Sidney John, now 52, was recorded as a General Labourer employed by Vivian & Sons, though out of work at the time of the census, reflecting the unstable labour conditions of the post‑war years. Hannah, aged 49, undertook household duties. Their children present were Irene (20), assisting with home duties; Richard Ivor (17), a Mason’s Labourer with Vivian & Sons, though also out of work; Martin Samuel (16), a General Labourer; and the younger boys William (12) and Alfred (8), both attending school.

Marriage

In 1930, William married Edith Maud Brannigan in Swansea, establishing his own household as the new decade began.

Military Service

William Thorne served as a Gunner with the Royal Artillery, attached to 301 Battery, 98 Heavy Anti‑Aircraft Regiment. His service placed him within the vital anti‑aircraft defences protecting Britain’s industrial centres, ports, and military installations during the Second World War.

William Thorne
Morriston Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Death and Burial

William died on 18 February 1943 at a Military Hospital in Scotland. His body was brought home to Swansea, where he was laid to rest at Morriston Cemetery, joining the roll of local servicemen whose wartime service ended far from home but whose families ensured their return to familiar ground.