Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

Although many perished in times of national conflict and in the service of their country, many more survived including those interned as Prisoners of War. Stories of those who did survive are included as part of this site, especially those with high gallantry awards, those included against an external rolls of honour and those who had a distinguished career in wartime and military leaderhip.

Detail :

William Carter was born illegitimately in 1874 and registered under the surname of Blinkhorn. He later took the name Carter from his stepfather which he continued to use until his death.

He joined the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1891. In 1901 he married Ellen Dales in Northampton. He was 27 and a Colour Sergeant. Their first child was born in 1902 in Northampton. In 1903 William was posted to South Africa, probably Pretoria, where he remained until 1904.
On his return to England he was stationed at Bordon, Hants where their daughter was born in 1906. I do not have any record of exactly where William and his family were in 1909 when he joined the Freemasons, perhaps he spent some time in Colchester.

The family remained in the UK until 1911 when they all went to Malta (their 2nd son was born in 1912 and died there in 1913).
In January 1914 William, his wife and children were sent to Alexandria, Egypt. Their son was born on 20 September that year. When War was declared Ellen had to travel to the UK with the children followed by William on 26 October.
William returned to Northampton and trained troops until he went to France in September 1915. He stayed in France until June 1916 and was awarded the Military Cross for Gallantry in the Field on 17 July 1916.
William had a distinguished military career, finishing as a Regimental Sergeant Major and was discharged from the army on 5 June 1917 having served 25 years 219 days.
William died on 28 February 1948.

Masonic :

Steward

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley
• Family : Debbie Winter
• Researcher : Paul Masters