Craftsman William Dalton Bexfield Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers
The Man William Dalton Bexfield was born on 6th November 1930 in Manchester, son of William Herbert a Linotype Operator at a newspaper works and Wilhelmina Carter nee Dalton. He had one sister Wilhelmina Amiee (30th October 1927 – 1st July 1998).
The 1939 Register shows the family living at 1 Avondale Street, Manchester, although William junior’s name is redacted, presumably as he was still alive at the time the time of its general publication.
In about 1948 when aged 18 William was called up for his National Service as a Craftsman in the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers with service number 22247428. He saw active service in the Malayan Campaign, the Near East Campaign ‘Operation Musketeer’ and in Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising. He was awarded the General Service Medal with clasps ‘Malaya’, ‘Near East’ and the Africa General Service Medal with clasp ‘Kenya’.
On Saturday 9th June 1956 in St Edward’s Church Rusholme, aged 25, he married Kathleen Veronica Hogg and the service was conducted by Father Murphy. They had four children David, born in 1957 but who sadly died the same year, Paul Gerald (1959-2022), Yvonne B 1960 and Derek Bernard 1967.
Veronica died on 3rd October 2005 and William on 19th April 2017 in Manchester aged 86.
The 1939 Register shows the family living at 1 Avondale Street, Manchester, although William junior’s name is redacted, presumably as he was still alive at the time the time of its general publication.
In about 1948 when aged 18 William was called up for his National Service as a Craftsman in the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers with service number 22247428. He saw active service in the Malayan Campaign, the Near East Campaign ‘Operation Musketeer’ and in Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising. He was awarded the General Service Medal with clasps ‘Malaya’, ‘Near East’ and the Africa General Service Medal with clasp ‘Kenya’.
On Saturday 9th June 1956 in St Edward’s Church Rusholme, aged 25, he married Kathleen Veronica Hogg and the service was conducted by Father Murphy. They had four children David, born in 1957 but who sadly died the same year, Paul Gerald (1959-2022), Yvonne B 1960 and Derek Bernard 1967.
Veronica died on 3rd October 2005 and William on 19th April 2017 in Manchester aged 86.
The Story The pair of medals awarded to W D Bexfield were acquired from Mark Carter at his Gloucester Medal Fair on 14th March 1993. They were of interest as both medals were virtually in mint condition, and the Africa General Service Medal, the first in this collection at that time.
No information was found about W D Bexfield, until a cursory search of Ancestry.UK in September 2023, over 30 years after their acquisition.
The search began by taking 18 years off 1948 (the beginning of the Malaya Campaign) which was 1930 and using this as an approximate birth year.
The result was a direct hit on William Dalton Bexfield. Further checking and cross referencing revealed another William D Bexfield, born in 1902 and so he was easily discounted.
Ancestry and the Newspaper archives enabled a very brief biography to be completed and it is likely that two of his children are still alive at the time of writing (2023).
It is so pleasing to be able to unearth information on a person, especially after so long.
No information was found about W D Bexfield, until a cursory search of Ancestry.UK in September 2023, over 30 years after their acquisition.
The search began by taking 18 years off 1948 (the beginning of the Malaya Campaign) which was 1930 and using this as an approximate birth year.
The result was a direct hit on William Dalton Bexfield. Further checking and cross referencing revealed another William D Bexfield, born in 1902 and so he was easily discounted.
Ancestry and the Newspaper archives enabled a very brief biography to be completed and it is likely that two of his children are still alive at the time of writing (2023).
It is so pleasing to be able to unearth information on a person, especially after so long.
Click on below links to read about each of the Campaigns clasps for William's medals:
Medal Details:
- General Service Medal: 22247428 CFN. W.D.BEXFIELD. R.E.M.E.
- Campaign Service Medal: 22247428 CFN. W.D.BEXFIELD. R.E.M.E.
This page last updated 16 Sep 23
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