202923 Pte Benjamin Daintry Hillsdon, 6th Bn, Royal West Kent Regt

202923 Benjamin Daintry Hillsden of the 6th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regt, died of wounds in England on the 16th October 1918.

Soldiers Died in The Great War spells his surname Hillsden but I think this is incorrect. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, his medal index card and the register of births record the spelling as Hillsdon.

Benjamin's number belongs to the series issued to the 4th (Territorial Force) Battalion and whilst I can't exactly pin down the date that he joined the Royal West Kent Regiment, it looks as though this was the latter part of the war. He certainly wasn't overseas until 1916 at the earliest.

Benjamin was born in Whitmore, Staffordshire in late 1888 or early 1889 and was living in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, when he enlisted, He joined up at Bedford. He was the son of Ben and Eliza Hillsden and had at least six siblings. On the 1891 and 1901 census returns, Ben Hillsdon senior is recorded as a coachman and he was obviously earning well enough in 1891 to afford a 14 year old servant girl - Flora Nelson - who was also staying with the family.

Private Hillsdon is buried in King's Walden (St Mary) Churchyard in Hertfordshire and is almost certainly mentioned on the local war memorial, although I don't know this for sure.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC, 1891 and 1901 census returns)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission