WILLIAM COLES
Private – Coldstream Guards   

Died of wounds
 13^th November 1914

The loss of a son was a devastating blow to any family, but one which the Coles family were to experience not once but three times before the end of the Great War. 

William Coles was the eldest son of Samuel and Harriet Coles of Station Road, Cullompton. A career soldier, William enlisted in the Coldstream Guards in Taunton on 10^th January 1902 with the service number of 4527. At that time he was described as being 20 years 4 months old, 5 ft 8½ inches tall with a fresh complexion, brown hair and hazel eyes. He gave his occupation as labourer and undertook to serve for a period of 7 years with the Colours and a further 5 years in the Reserve.  

Private Coles was engaged on home service until 28^th September 1906 when he was posted to Egypt. From 11^th November 1907 to 16^th March 1908 he served with the Mounted Infantry section of the Regiment. He returned to home service on 22^nd December 1909 and was transferred to the Reserve the following day. On 1^st April 1911 he married Marie Florence Julia Moore at the Register Office in Tiverton. The military way of life must have been agreeable to William. When his twelve year period expired in January 1914 he volunteered for a further 4 years service.

Britain declared war on Germany on 4^th August 1914. Coles was mobilized in London the following day. In a little over a week he was leaving Southampton for the Western Front with the 3^rd Battalion of the Coldstream Guards.  The battalion was involved in the battle at Mons and the subsequent retreat before the German advance was halted with fierce fighting at the river Marne. During this period the battalion moved daily, engaging the enemy at various points and sustaining significant casualties.

It is very likely that Coles saw action in the Battle of the Marne (5^th – 9^th September) and the Battle of the Aisne (14^th – 20^th September) in France before the battalion was moved north into Belgium, arriving in Hazebrouck on 14^th October 1914. The battalion saw action again in an attack on Zonnebeke on 21^st October before moving to Zillebeke, Hooge and then Polygon Wood. On 26^th October the men of the 3^rd battalion made an attack through the wood in support of the 1^st Irish Guards, after which they relieved the 1^st Irish in the front line.

By the time they were relieved by French troops on 16^th November the battalion losses totalled 25 killed and 141 wounded. These included Private William Coles who was wounded on 12^th November 1914 and died of his wounds the following day. He was 33 years old.

Private Coles has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial to the missing. It is probable that he was buried by his comrades but that over the ensuing years of war his grave was lost. News of his death was printed in the Tiverton Gazette on 1^st December 1914. This was the first of many such announcements, although he was not the first Cullompton man to be lost.