WH Rollinson

William Harold Rollinson

Appears as:

Born:

Parents:

Unit:

No.:

Rank:

Died:

Grave/Memorial:

Rollinson, William N

1888 Great Bookham, Surrey

Alexander and Charlotte (née Hockley)

3rd Battalion, Royal West Surrey Regiment (militia) / 2nd Battalion, Liverpool Regiment /
2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment

4105 / 10085 / 9897

Private (L/Corporal)

25 April 1915, Belgium, age 27

Named on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ypres, Belgium: Panel 34

Biography:
William Harold Rollinson was born, in Great Bookham, Surrey, in 1888. He was the son and second child of Alexander, an agricultural labourer & stockman, and Charlotte (née Hockley). He had three brothers and six sisters.

William’s parents moved to Great Bookham in Surrey shortly before he was born. They moved a lot; William’s first six siblings were born in, Brentwood,
East Clandon, Shepperton, Ripley and Malden, before his parents settled in Woking in about 1901.

When he left school, William worked as an agricultural labourer. He enlisted in the Militia with 3rd Battalion, the Royal West Surrey Regiment on 31
October 1905. He stood 5 feet 6¼ inches tall. His complexion was described as ‘fresh’; he had brown hair and hazel eyes.

William joined the Army, with 2nd Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment in October 1907, which was stationed at Inkerman Barracks. He enlisted for
seven years and five years as a reserve. He now stood 5 feet 6⅜ inches tall and weighed 140 pounds. His eyes were recorded as brown. He had a tattoo of
the Prince of Wales feathers on his right forearm.

William transferred to the 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment on 16 August 1909, which was in India. William was appointed Lance Corporal in April
1912; in April 1914, he reverted to private at his own request. William served at various locations in India and Burma, including Jutogh, Mhow,
Thayetmyo, Shwebo, Bhamo, Chaubattia and Jhausi.

2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment deployed to France in January 1915, with the 85th Brigade, 28th Division. It was soon in action to the south of Ypres
where it lost many men, some by poison gas: the battalion lost some 800 troops out of about 1,000.

William Harold Rollinson was killed on 25 April 1915. His final resting place is unknown; his name, along with others of his regiment, appears on panel 34
of the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.

William’s brother, Henry Rollinson, is also commemorated on both the Menin Gate Memorial and the St John’s Memorial.