William Locke

Story:
William Locke was born in Surrey (possibly Lambeth) on 11 Apr 1895.  It is currently not known who his parents were precisely but there is a distinct possibility they were Henry George Locke and Annie Priscilla Locke.  He was admitted to the Lambeth, Surrey, Poor House & Institute in 1905.  By 1911 he was living with Amelia Moore at 8 West Orchard, Shaftesbury, Dorset, as a boarder working as a Farm Labourer.  He had enlisted on 31 Jan 1916 and joined the Devonshire Regiment as a Private (Service No. 17372) serving with the Regimental No. 2 Labour Company until on 28 Feb 1916 he was transferred to the Princess Charlotte of Wales (Royal Berkshire) Regiment as a Private (Service No. 29051).  He served in France and Flanders from 8 Jul 1916 with the Regimental 12th Labour Company during which time he was medically regraded and transferred to the 196th Labour Company of the Labour Corps as a Private (Service No. 116169).  He was discharged on 3 Mar 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War Medals.  He returned to live on at 8 West Orchard and took up employment as a Farm Labourer at Higher Farm, Manston, Sturminster, Dorset.   By the time of the 1939 Register he had moved to Middle House Farm, Manston, Sturminster, Dorset, working as a Tree Feller and still single.   His death was recorded at the Bristol, Gloucestershire, registry during 1974.