William Locke was born in the spring of 1885, the sixth of ten children. His parents were George and Sarah Locke, both of whom were from Chard, Somerset, and it was here that William and his siblings were raised.

George worked in the local lace factory, and the 1891 census provides a snapshot of where the Lockes lived. The document notes that the family’s neighbours were a sawyer, launderess and a chimney sweep.

William did not follow in his father’s – or siblings’ – trade when he left school. Instead, he first found work as an ironmonger’s porter, then as a plumber.

On 5th April 1915, William married Mabel Male, a gardener’s daughter from Barrington, Somerset. War had come to Europe, and it seems that William was aware that he would shortly receive notice for him to play his part. The couple were by now living in Parkstone, Dorset, and William had changed career again: his service records confirm that he was a line telegraphist at the time he enlisted.

William enlisted in the Royal Engineers in Bournemouth on 29th July 1915: his records note that he was 5ft 3ins (1.6m) tall, 122lbs (55.3kg) in weight and had blue eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion.

Sapper Locke spent a year at the regiment’s Stratford Depot, learning the skills he would need for the front line. He had leave before he was then dispatched to the Front Line and arrived in France on 29th May 1916.

In September, Mabel gave birth to a son the couple called Roy. She had, by this time, returned to Somerset, moving to Chard, to be near William’s family.

Sapper Locke remained in France until the autumn of 1918. He came home in November, but was unwell. A doctor attended, and noted influenza that has developed into pneumonia. Sadly, the conditions were to take William’s life. He passed away at home on 7th November 1918, his death, according to the doctor, directly attributable to his army service. He was aged just 34 years old.

Mabel returned to her family home in Barrington, and William Locke was laid to rest in the graveyard of the village’s St Mary’s Church. His burial was on 11th November, the day the armistice was signed.

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