William's Story.
William Fellowes was born in March 1896 to John Fellowes and Agnes Fellowes nee Wootton in Liscard Wallasey, he was at the time of his birth the fifth child and second son. In 1911 the family lived at 9 Scott Street Liscard. His father John was employed as a General Labourer with the railway and his mother Agnes remained at home to look after the family and after Johns death in 1913 she took in washing to supplement a meagre income from the elder working children. The family would increase to a total of nine children though two were to die in infancy so by the time of Williams death in 1916 the family consisted of Agnes and seven children including William.
William attended St Mary's School in Liscard, whilst at school among the many others he would become friends with Frank Steer and John Henry Williams. After leaving school he was at first employed as a milk boy by Francis Brothers Dairymen of New Brighton. It was whilst working here that he became friends with Charles Forsyth of Agnes Grove Liscard. William was later to leave Francis Brothers Dairy and gained employment with the Wallasey Corporation within the Tramways Department.
The 13th [Service] Battalion was raised by the MP Gershom Stewart at Port Sunlight on the 1 September 1914. In October 1914 and moved to Chester. October 1914 moved to Salisbury Plain to joined 74th Brigade 25th Division. Moved to Bournemouth for the winter 1914/15. May 1915 moved to Aldershot and on the 25 September 1915 landed in France.
William was killed in action on the 7th July 1916 the war diary for the period reads:
Wed: 5th July: March to trenches at La Boisselle, A and B companies left in billets.
Thu: 6th July: Occupied trenches in the village of La Boisselle which we consolidated and held.
Fri: 7th July: Over the parapet at 8:5am after suffering severe casualties we reached our objective and consolidated. A number of prisoners and war material fell into our hands. Casualties on the day very heavy.
Extract from History of the Cheshire Regiment in the Great War by Col. Arthur Crookenden.
The 13th Battalion commanded by Colonel LHK Finch was employed on the 7th July under the command of 12th Division against Ovillers. Jumping off trenches had been contrived from the newly won German trenches in La Boisselle. These trenches formed a salient in the German line and our attack ran parallel to the British and German fronts, the Germans still holding the trenches flanking the line of advance from La Boiselle to Ovillers. The village was below the crest from the front but was in view from our starting line. It had been arranged that the attack should be protected by smoke and an intense barrage. But there was no smoke and our men thought the barrage particularly feeble. it is probable that as the wind dropped the smoke rose at once. Our advance being thus unscreened drew heavy artillery fire. This fire together with machine gun fire from front and flanks stopped the attack about halfway to Ovillers. The Loyal North Lancashire’s on our right lost heavily, the loss in officers being particularly severe. The 13th Battalion lost eight officers killed, twelve officers wounded, and 243 NCOs and men killed or wounded.
William’s friends, John Henry Williams, Charles Forsyth and Frank Steer all died on the 7 July and they were all employed within the battalion as 'Bombers'
William's body was not recovered and so he is named on Thiepval Memorial 
Cheshire County Memorial Project would like to thank Peter Fellowes, William's great nephew for researching and compiling this information on William.