Current Information:

Age-20

18, Sperling Road, Tottenham

Born-Mile End

On 10th March, 1915, the 4th Middlesex battalion of 8 Brigade, 3rd Division left their billets in La Clytte and moved into trenches at Vierstraat a few kilometres to the south of Ypres in Belgium, where they remained until relieved on 26th March with the companies rotating from the front line to reserve positions on a regular basis. William Cade was killed on 26th March but the battalion diary provides no information concerning his death. The attrition rate among British soldiers on the Western Front was on average 300 each day and 60% of these were as a result of shellfire. When not involved in an actual battle it was either shell fire or a sniper’s bullet that caused most deaths and injuries.