Bmdr William Walter Abery 304 Siege Bty, RGA

[Will O'Brien]

As per CWGC

Name: ABERY, WILLIAM WALTER

Initials: W W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Bombardier

Regiment: Royal Garrison Artillery

Unit Text: 304th Siege Bty.

Age: 21

Date of Death: 10/08/1917

Service No: 39780

Additional information: Son of Esther L. Abery, of Elm Bank Cottage, Yateley, Hants, and the late Walter C. Abery. Only surviving relative - Mrs Kathleen Abery of 81 Manor Park Drive, Yateley, Camberley, Surrey.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: 1. H. 22.

Cemetery: RAVENNA WAR CEMETERY

[Will O'Brien]

& the cemetery info

Cemetery: RAVENNA WAR CEMETERY

Country: Italy

Location Information: The War Cemetery lies on a communal road 1 kilometre south of the SS16 from Ravenna to Ferrara near the village of Piangipane in the Commune and Province of Ravenna. The turning from the main road is at the 143 kilometres stone, 12 kilometres west of Ravenna. The turning is marked with a CWGC sign pointing in the direction of the cemetery, and a road sign marked 'Piangipane 4 kilometres'. Continue along the minor road until a further CWGC sign is seen. The entrance to the cemetery is located on the left hand side of the road.

Historical Information: On 3 September 1943 the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, the invasion coinciding with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side. Following the fall of Rome to the Allies in June 1944, the German retreat became ordered and successive stands were made on a series of defensive lines. In the northern Appenine mountains the last of these, the Gothic Line, was breached by the Allies during the Autumn campaign and the front inched forward as far as Ravenna in the Adratic sector, but with divisions transferred to support the new offensive in France, and the Germans dug in to a number of key defensive positions, the advance stalled as winter set in. Ravenna was taken by the Canadian Corps at the beginning of December 1944, and the burials in the cemetery there reflect the fighting for the Senio line and the period of relative quiet during the first three months of 1945. Many of the men buried there were Canadians; one of the last tasks of the Canadian Corps before being moved to north-west Europe was the clearing of the area between Ravenna and the Comacchio lagoon. Others are Indians from the 10th Indian Division, and New Zealanders. The site for the cemetery was selected by the Army in 1945 for burials from the surrounding battlefields. Ravenna War Cemetery contains 955 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 63 of them unidentified. There are also 33 First World War burials, 30 of them brought in from Gradisca Communal Cemetery in 1974, the others from communal cemeteries at Arzigano, Fano and Monterosso al Mare. Among those buried in the cemetery are 33 men of the Jewish Infantry Brigade Group which was formed in September 1944, chiefly by volunteers from Palestine; the burials at Ravenna form the largest concentration of casualties from the Brigade.

No. of Identified Casualties: 927

[Will O'Brien]

William's online MIC index entry can be seen here

[Will O'Brien]

I think I've found William on the 1901 census as a 5 year old living in Theale, Berkshire with his father Walter, a 29 year old Bricklayers Labourer at a Water works & his mother Esther who was aged 28. William was born un Theale whilst his father was from Englefield & his mother Thatcham.

[Will O'Brien]

Also found William's parents marriage on FreeBMD. They were married in the December quarter of 1892. His father's full name was Walter Christopher Abery & his mothers maiden name was Esther Louisa Pocock