William Edward Norcross

Age 22        Married with 2 children

Private 67125
3^rd Bn., Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Died of wounds on
Saturday 19^th May 1917

William or ‘Will Eddie’ as he was more commonly known, was born in Sabden.  After attending St Mary’s School Will Eddie was employed as a weaver at Messrs Steiner and Company, Union Mill.  Along with his wife and two small children William lived at Pendle Street East, Sabden. 

Will Eddie enlisted in to the Cheshire Regt. On June 9^th 1916 and after training was sent to France.  Whilst in the trenches he contracted dysentery and was returned to England to recover in a Colchester hospital.  When fully recovered, Will Eddie was transferred to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and was stationed at their Oswestry Camp for further re-training. 

On Wednesday 16^th May 1917, Will Eddie's wife, Agnes, received a telegram from Oswestry Training Camp informing her that her husband was in hospital, gravely ill.  Agnes, along with William's mother immediately set off to see him. After arriving they sent home the following letter: 

“Just a line to tell you we are not able to come back till we see how Will Eddie is going to turn out.  We have been with him all night.  The doctor can’t give us any hope.  He says that he has every bone in his body more or less broken.  He has only one hand that he can move.  All his body is in a cage strapped down.  He was wounded along with his officer but the latter is dead, he threw himself on the bomb to try and save Will Eddie, and lost his own life.  It was not any carelessness on our lads part, not in the least, as he was doing his work all right.  It was some men who were learning to throw bombs.  They are making special enquiries into the matter, but that won’t bring our son back to health again.”

A day later they followed this letter with a telegram which stated that William had passed away from his injuries early on the morning of Saturday 19^th May 1917.  His body was brought home to Sabden by four of his comrades for burial. 

William Edward Norcross is buried at Heyhouses (St. Nicholas) Churchyard, Sabden. 

In Sabden he has been remembered on both the School and Church Plaques.