William Burnell Vickers

William Burnell Vickers was born in 1891 he was the son of Charles Henry a lace manufacturer and Jessie Anna Vickers née Lomas and the brother of Jessie Margaret and Charles Geoffrey Vickers. In 1911 they lived at Lucknow Corner Magdala Road Nottingham. Charles Henry was born in 1851 at Nottingham, Jessie Annie Lomas was born in 1858 at Leicester they were married in 1882 at Leicester and had 3 children. In the 1911 census the family are living at Lucknow Corner, Nottingham, Charles Henry 60 yrs is a lace manufacturer he is living with his wife Jessie Anna 53 yrs and their children, Jessie Margaret 27 yrs , William Burnell 20 yrs a lace salesman, and Charles Geoffrey 16 yrs a scholar.

In 1911 he was a lace salesman.

Second Lieutenant William Burnell Vickers initially served with the service number 3326 in The Royal Fusiliers where he was promoted to Sergeant, he was commission on 16th March 1915 serving with the Royal Garrison Artillery. He landed in France on 12th October 1916 he was killed in action on 21st June 1917 and is buried at Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery Grave Reference: II D 1

Nottingham Corporation minutes of council meeting 2 July 1917: Expression of sympathy to relatives of ... and Lieutenant WB Vickers Royal Garrison Artillery. His brother Charles Geoffrey Vickers known as Geoffrey also served during the 'Great War ' he served with the Sherwood Foresters Regiment as a Temporary Captain and was awarded a Victoria Cross He won the Victoria Cross for his actions on 14 October 1915 when he held a barrier across a trench in the Hohenzollern Redoubt, France against heavy German bomb (grenade) attacks, ordering a second barrier to be built behind him in order to secure the safety of the trench, regardless of the fact that his own retreat would be cut off, and holding back the enemy for long enough for a second barrier to be completed He survived the war and was promoted to Colonel he died in 1982 aged 87 yrs.