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First World War » William Percy Shaw

St. Pol British Cemetery, St. Pol-Sur-Ternoise, France


In Memory of William Percy Shaw

The town of St. Pol is about 29 kilometres south-west of Bethune and 34 kilometres west-north-west of Arras. The Cemetery is to the south of the town on the road to Frevent (the D916).

St. Pol-sur-Ternoise was a military administrative centre during the whole of the First World War and was taken over by Commonwealth troops from the French in March 1916.   No.12 Stationary Hospital was posted on the race-course near the town from 1 June 1916 to 1 June 1919.

St. Pol British Cemetery was begun in March 1918, when the extension to the communal cemetery was almost full; the last burial was made in July 1920.

William Percy Shaw
1885 ~ 1918

William served in the Royal Army Service Corps attached to the Tank Corps. He died on 21st November 1918 aged 33, and is buried in the St. Pol British Cemetery, St. Pol-Sur-Ternoise, France.

William Percy Shaw. Royal Army Service Corps. 1885-1918

William was the cousin of Beatrice Elizabeth Jones (nee Shaw), daughter of Edmund Jones, on their mother's side.

William's father was Reuben George Shaw; his cousin Beatrice's father was John Ezra Shaw. Reuben and John were not related, they just happen to have had the same surname.

Beatrice & Edmund's daughter Winifred would later (after the war) meet & marry Robert Speirs Robertson.

St. Pol British Cemetery, St. Pol-Sur-Ternoise, France