William Lane

William was born in Arnold in 1896, the son of John Thomas and Sarah Ann Lane nee Brunt. His father was born in Arnold in 1868 (A/M/J Nottingham) and his mother in Pleasley, Derbyshire. John Thomas and Sarah Ann Brunt were married in 1893 (J/A/S Basford) and had five children by 1911: Ethel, William b. abt 1896, Ernest b. 1898 (J/A/S Basford), Ada b. 1900 (O/N/D Basford) and George. In 1901 John Thomas (33) and Sarah (34) were living on Burford Street, Arnold, with their four children; Ethel (6), William (5), Ernest (3) and Ada (5 months). By 1911 John (43), a lace maker, and Sarah Ann (44) were living at 41 Edwin Street, Daybrook, with their five children, Ethel (16) a lace dresser, William (15) an errand boy, Ernest (13) a bottle washer at a brewery, Ada (10) and George (7). The family home was later at 10 St Albans Road, Arnold, Nottingham. John Thomas died in 1918 (Jun Basford) aged 50. The family lost other relatives in the war: William's cousin, Wallace Lane, joined the Royal Navy before the war and was serving in HMS Black Prince as a leading seaman (233342/Po) when he was killed at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Another cousin, John Thomas Lane, the son of his father's brother, Harry, served in the 7th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (265950 Private) and was killed in France on 27 May 1917. He is buried in Loos British Cemetery. (See T2T records) William's uncle, Alonzo Lane, his father's youngest brother, served in the Royal Engineers in the latter part of the war. He committed suicide in May 1919 shortly before he was due to be discharged from the army; he is buried in Redhill Cemetery, Arnold. (See T2T record.)

He was an errand boy in 1911.

He enlisted in Nottingham

He volunteered for service in the Army and enlisted into the 11th (Service) Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers, a Kitchener Battalion. They left their final station in England, Bramshott, in August 1915, when the Battalion went over the Channel to France. William served in France from 25 August. William was killed in action at Poziers. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. He qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.