Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Courcelles-Au-Bois Communal Cemetery Extension | C. 17. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.122 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 9A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
William Emeny was born in Kingston, Surrey in 1879 and is the son of William and Mary Jane Emeny. He served aboard HMS Crescent, in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1901. He was married in 1906 to Alice Fisher and they lived at 43 Westfield Road, Eastney, Portsmouth, England. Their children are: Wing Commander George William Emeny, B.E.M., RAF, born in 1907, died 1971 and Winnifred Alice Emeny (married Bitton) born in 1910.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: Royal Marine Artillery |
| Action : The Battles of the Somme 1916 |
The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.
Service Number: RMA/6870
Unit: Royal Marine Artillery (Royal Navy)
Previous Service: 74th Siege Battery, South African Heavy Artillery
Detail :
Killed in Action: 29 November 1916, Deville Wood, France
Buried: Courselles-Au-Bois Communal Cemetery Extension, France
Commemorated: Company Gardens, Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town, South Africa
HMS Crescent, Halifax, Nova Scotia (1901)
He died at that Battle of Somme on 29 November 1916, and is buried in Courselles-Au-Bois Communal Cemetery Extension in France.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Royal Standard No. 398 E.C. | Montreal & Halifax |
| Joined : | Lodge of Hope No. 2153 E.C. | Hampshire & IOW |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
13th August 1901 | 10th September 1901 | 8th October 1901 |
In Royal Standard Lodge, he was Initiated on 13 August 1901; Passed on 10 September 1901; and Raised on 8 October 1901. He subsequently joined the Lodge of Hope, No 2153 (Hampshire and IOW) on the 17th June 1914. He was a aboard HMS Cresent and HMS Achilles respectively.
The names of those brethren who fell are taken from the monument formerly located in the foyer of the Masonic Hall on Barrington Street, which now resides in the banquet room of the Masonic Hall on Coronation Avenue in Halifax, NS.
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