[Jill]

65th of the Old Boys of St Wilfrid's School, Haywards Heath to lose his life in the Great War.

Adopted son of George and Caroline Netley, William was born in 1898 in Cuckfield, I have not been able to find him in 1901, but with an Annie Rist (sister?) he was boarding with the Netleys at Rose Dene, Ashenground Road, Haywards Heath in 1911. Their parents may have been George & Louisa Rist. Annie Rist had been in the Cuckfield Workhouse in 1901, as was a 14 year old Florence Rist who was the daughter of George and Louisa Rist on the 1891 census; her father George Rist was in Lewes Prison in 1901, Louisa was laundress (though Louisa’s age is 10 years younger than it should be) with another teenage daughter, Sarah, in Clayton.

After first serving in Egypt from 8 August 1915 William died at Le Rozoy on the Marne, France on 29 July 1918, aged 19, and has no known grave but is commemorated on the Soissons Memorial.

His effects of £51 15s 5d were sent to his father George Netley on 6 November 1919 which included a War Gratuity of £23.