1914/15 Trio & Memorial Plaque 2nd Lt Fenton 8th Yorkshire Regt First Casualty of war for the 8th Battalion

1914/15 Star named 2 LIEUT W V FENTON YORK R, British War & Victory Medals named2 LIEUT W V FENTON & Memorial Plaque named WILLIAM VERNON FENTON. All held in a presentation piece to be placed in a frame.

William was the son of W H Fenton JP and Mrs E M Fenton of Heston House, Heston, Middlesex. He was born in Sunbury-on-Thames in 1894. He went to Cranleigh School and at the onset of war 2nd Sept 1914 joined the Universities and Public School Corps numbered 1472 with the 18th Royal Fusiliers LG 8th Feb 1915 aged 20 years old. He gained a commission on the 2nd Feb 1915 and after training joined the 8th Yorkshire Regt as a Second Lieutentant. He landed in France with the regiment on 27th Aug 1915. They were sent to Erquinghem in early Sept to be put through training where platoons where sent up to the front line for instruction and training. It was on one of these days that William was badly wounded and died that same day becoming the first casualty of the 8th Battalion.

Capt Dodgson of the regiment wrote to his mother in Oct 1915 – A shell burst just behind the trench and caught poor Fenton who was walking from one dugout to the next. He was badly wounded in the head and died that night.