Private 27247 William James Morteboys

Died of Wounds Salonika on Sunday, 24th December 1916, age 33.
Buried in Grave B. 174. at Sarigol Military Cemetery, Kriston, Greece.

7th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment. 78th Brigade of 26th Division.

Husband of Sarah Ann Morteboys, of No. 2, back of 155 Cromwell Street, Nechells, Birmingham.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Birmingham, Resident: Nechells, Warks..

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/332009/

Genealogical Data

Birth of William James Morteboy registered June quarter 1883 in Dudley.

1891 Census
Lichfield Road, Walsall Wood, Staffs.
Thomas Mostiboys (sic) (42, Boatman, born "on the canal" near West Bromwich), his wife Rebecca (32, born Great Bridge), and their 4 children: Harry (9, born Great Bridge), William (8, born Great Bridge), Thomas (5, born Great Bridge), and Ada (4, born Walsall Wood).

1901 Census
3 Trevor Street, Melbourne Place, Aston, Birmingham.
Thomas Morteboy (52, Building material Salesman, born West Bromwich), his wife Rebecca (45, born Great Bridge), and their 5 children: Harry (19, Carter, born Great Bridge), William (18, Bricklayer's Labourer, born Great Bridge), Thomas (16, Carter, born Walsall Wood), Ada (14, Weaver, born Walsall Wood), and Annie (6, born Birmingham).

Marriage of William James Morteboys and Sarah Ann Claines registered June quarter 1907 in Aston. They were married 9th June in St James the Less, Ashted, Birmingham.

1911 Census
13 Court, 5 House, Cromwell Street, Birmingham.
William Morteboy (28, Builder's Labourer, born Great Bridge), and his wife Sarah Ann (27, born Birmingham). William and Sarah had 2 children who had both died by the time of the 1911 Census: Thomas William (b Sept qtr 1908, died Sept qtr 1908), and Harry (b Sept qtr 1909, died June qtr 1911).
William and Sarah had 2 further children: Hannah born 2nd September 1912, and WIlliam born 15th January 1915.

Personal Data

William was born in Great Bridge/Tipton, but by the time he was 4 years of age his family had moved to Walsall Wood, and then to Birmingham where he was living at the time of his enlistment.

After William's death his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £4/7/1d (4 pounds, 7 shillings and 1 penny); this was paid to his widow, Sarah A., in April 1917. His War Gratuity was £3/0/0d (3 pounds exactly), this was also paid to his widow in October 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that William had enlisted within the 12 months prior to his death.

William’s widow, Sarah Ann, was awarded a Widow’s Pension of £1/2/11d (1 pound, 2 shillings and 11 pence) per week for herself and her 2 children, effective from 2nd June 1917. Her address at this time was 42 Trevor Street, Nechells, Birmingham.

Action resulting in his death

The 7th Battalion, Royal Berkshires, as part of 26th Division moved to Salonica in November 1915. It is likely that William Morteboys joined later than this as he was not eligible for the 1914/1915 Star. They had been in the area south of Lake Doiran, and had undertaken an attack on Kidney Hill in August, and the Mamelon raid in October. Other than this they were employed in a lot of road mending.

On the 23rd December 1916, a raid was made on Hill 380 by 'D' Company, whilst a feint was made by thirty men and two Lewis guns to divert attention from the main body. The first wave of attack advanced as far as the N.E. edge of Green Ravine, but was unable at first to go further, owing to "shorts" from the British barrage. When the barrage lifted, this wave advanced to the enemy trench which was found practically destroyed and most of its wire blown away.
The second wave then attempted to go forward beyond the trench, but suffered so severely from the fire it encountered that it had to retire once the dead and wounded had been evacuated.
The casualties were: 1 Officer and 5 Other Ranks killed, and 2 Officers and 29 Other Ranks wounded or missing.

It is likely that William Morteboys was one of the 29 Other Ranks wounded, and died the next day at the 31st Casualty Clearing Station and buried at the adjacent Janes Military Cemetery. The 560 burials at this low lying Cemetery were removed to Sarigol Cemetery in 1921.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.