Victory Medal
Private William Ewart Fuller, Essex Regiment (later Lance Corporal, Silver War Badge Recipient)
William Ewart Fuller was born in 1890 in Felsted, Essex, and worked as a slaughterer in Braintree before enlistment.
He enlisted on the 14th of February 1916 in the Essex Regiment. Shortly after, he married his wife, Grace Olive Dunlop, on the 26th of March, 1916. He officially began home service from the 13th of October 1916 to the 9th of January 1917.
He initially served in the 13th (Service) Battalion (West Ham) of the Essex Regiment from the 10th of January, 1917. He would have been serving during the operations on the Ancre, including trench raids. He then transferred to the 10th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles (part of the 36th (Ulster) Division, from the 1st of February 1917 (service number 10/41270). He would’ve likely been deeply involved in the fighting around Spanbroekmolen on the first day of the Battle of Messines in June 1917. He was appointed Lance Corporal on the 10th of August 1917; however, he was noted as being disabled due to “exposure on active service, blown up, gunshot wound” and also mentions being shelled and states “gunshot wound, right cheek and right thigh, August 1917”.
He was posted to hospital from the 27th of August to the 6th of September 1917. He was discharged from service due to “being no longer physically fit for war service” on the 22nd of May 1918. He was issued the Silver War Badge (number 412477) for “neurasthenia” (archaic medical term for “nervous exhaustion” and characterised by profound fatigue, anxiety, headaches, and irritability)
He seems to have died on the 22nd of February 1979
Correctly impressed:
32050 PTE. .W. E. FULLER. ESSEX R.
Condition:
Good, gilt finish worn
