Aley

The Men

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T UW Y

ALEY, WILLIAM HARRY

Rank:
Service No:
Date of Death:
Age:
Regiment/Service:
Grave Reference:
Text on stone:

Rank:
Service No:
Date of Death:
Age:
Regiment/Service:
Grave Reference:

Corporal
6013181
01/10/1944
24
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)   9th Bn.
II. D. 20.
In memory of my dear husband
Died of wounds

Additional information:
Husband of Edith Eunice Mary Aley, of Swindon, Wiltshire.

William was born on 20 june 1920 in Chipping Ongar, Essex, U.K.

He died of wounds at the field hospital at Meerveldhoven where he was initially buried.

Bill Aley, as know in the family was my mothers brother.
He was born in Moreton Essex on 01 June 1920, father unknown died 01 October 1944.
He joined the Essex Regiment in 1938, Sent to France with the BEF force.after Dunkirk his mother had a telegram to tell her her son was missing believed killed at Dunkirk.
About three weeks later an army lorry stopped outside her house and Bill fell out of the back, he was in such a state.
He was sent to a hospital for convalescence.
He was involved with the Normandy Invasion and soldiered until getting killed in Holland.
Our Dutch friend told us her mother used him for about a week in the local hospital, he died from a snipers bullet to the head.
I hope this will help your research, many thanks to you and all the Dutch people.
P.S I was born 23 May 1944 and Bill got the message i was born.

Original gravesite at Meerveldhoven.

From the service records the following account can be reconstructed.

William Harry Aley was born on 20 June 1920 in Monckton, Essex. He enlisted in the British Army on 17 September 1938 and joined the Essex Regiment. In civilian life, he worked as a farm labourer.

During the early stages of the war, he served with the British Expeditionary Force in France from 16 September 1939 until 28 June 1940. On 13 April 1942, he was transferred to the South Lancashire Regiment. He later transferred to the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) on 4 April 1944.

William Harry Aley married Edith Eunice Mary Turp on 30 March 1942 in Thurrock, Essex. Together they had one child.

He embarked for service in North West Europe on 1 July 1944.

William Harry Aley was 5 feet 5¾ inches tall, with brown hair and brown eyes.

 

He died of wounds on 1 October 1944.