Lance Corporal William Charles Gardner
317 Company, Labour Corps
Died in Military Service
Date of Birth: 1872
Place of Birth: Torquay, Devon
Date of Death: 16 July 1917 aged 45
Buried: Teignmouth Cemetery, Remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. Michael's Church, Teignmouth, Devon
Awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
Lance Corporal William Charles Gardner, age 45.Born in Torquay 1872, the son of Thomas and Frances Gardner. In 1881 and 1891 the family lived in Bath. William appears to have married Sarah E Smith in 1916, she was previously living in Teignmouth.
Enlisting at Poole, William served with the Devonshire Regiment,service number 17193; he later transferred to 317 Company, Labour Corps, service number 173822. He was serving with this company when he died at home on 16 July 1917.
Buried in Teignmouth Cemetery. Remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. Michael's Church, Teignmouth.
Men in the Labour Companies were unfit for front line service due to wounds or illness. They served by doing arduous (and sometimes dangerous), essential support tasks behind the lines.
