Farmer

9533 Sergeant Drummer William Farmer

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

William Farmer was born in 1892 in St Lukes, London. His parents were James and Miriam Jessie (née Casbard), who had both been domestic servants at Trowle Manor in Bradford on Avon.

James was from Melksham but Miriam came from London, where the couple returned to marry and where William was born. James and Miriam came back to Wiltshire and continued to live in the county, but William stayed in Middlesex living with relatives.

He enlisted in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in Dublin in 1909 and attended The Royal Military School of Music in Kneller Hall, Middlesex to be trained as a drummer.

William was part of the British Expeditionary Force and embarked for France on 20th August 1914. He was taken prisoner during the First Battle of Mons, but managed to escape with a Lieutenant Stack and returned to British lines. He fought in the First Battle of the Somme and was wounded on the 6th September 1916 in the village of Guillemont.

William was serving with the 3rd Battalion in Ireland in 1917, where he met & married Martha Helen Wylie from Londonderry. He died in hospital at Park Hall Military Hospital, Oswestry, on November 8th, 1918. He was 26 years old.

His body was returned to Corsham for burial in the Ladbrook Lane Cemetery. It is known that his mother Miriam lived at Half Way Farm, Corsham, so it is a presumption that she was living in the locality at the time of her son’s death.

 

Corsham (St Batholomew) Church Burial Ground War Graves

This burial ground is the resting place for 22 servicemen who gave their lives on the First & Second World Wars. A number were men who had lived in the town or had family connections to the area. Others were serving in local units or were receiving treatment in Corsham’s military hospital when they died. Find out more about them using the QR code located at each individual grave. These commemorations will be maintained in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). 

CWGC Map Corsham

World War One

1. Pte Robert Brown ASC

2. Pte Hamilton T Kerr A&SH

3. Pte William HJ Robbins RDC

4. Pte William Evans RDC

5. Dvr Egbert Slade ASC

6. 3rd AM Harold Flower RFC

7. AB William F Hemmings RN

8. Pte Herbert A Rumming RASC 

9. Pte George F Merrett RASC 

10. Sgt William Farmer Innis Fus

11. Pte Sidney A Archer

World War Two

12. Spr Charles J Bond RE

13. Pte John Jones P Corps

14. Pte Harry Sivyer RAMC

15. Pte Thomas H Gill P Corps

16. Pte Wilfred NK Huskinson RAOC

17. Tpr William McCaldron RAC

18. Sgt John WM Bailey MM RA

19. Pte William G Elms P Corps

20. Pte William H Thompson Som LI

21. Gnr Eric Burford RA

22. Capt William H Jackson RE