William Carrow D. Pomeroy was born at the start of 1892 in Worthing, West Sussex. One of six children, his mother was Sarah Pomeroy. She had been born in the Clifton area of Bristol, Gloucestershire, but by the time William was born, she had moved to Worthing.
According to the 1901 census, Sarah was a widow, and was running a lodging house at 3 Warwick Road. The next census return found the family living at the same address, where Sarah’s lodging house was now noted as being apartments.
William had completed his schooling by this point, and had found work as a cycle mechanic. His dedication and skill eventually took him to London, where, by the outbreak of war, he was employed as a mechanic with the London Fire Brigade in Southwark, Surrey.
The First World War brought new opportunities, and, on 14th January 1916, William enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps. Details of his military service are sketchy, but it is clear that he was an Air Mechanic 1st Class, and was based at in Reading, Berkshire.
Air Mechanic Pomeroy was transferred over to the Royal Air Force on its creation on 1st April 1918. Within weeks, however, he had been admitted to Reading War Hospital, suffering from pneumonia. The condition was to get the better of him, and he passed away on 18th July, at the age of 26 years old.
The funeral of First-Class Air Mechanic E [sic] Pomeroy, who died at Reading last week, from complications following an attack of influenza, took place at Broadwater Cemetery on Monday afternoon, with full Military honours.
The deceased, who was twenty-five years of age, was the son of the late Mr Pomeroy, well-known locally as a former Inspector of Weights and Measures.
[Worthing Gazette: Wednesday 24th July 1918]
William’s headstone gives his name as CDW Pomeroy. All other records, including the registration of his birth, give his name as William Carrow D Pomeroy. There is no record of what the D stood for.
Death and Service 