PRIVATE WILLIAM THORNE PERROTT: 18794
Army Pay Corps
William was born in 1896 and lived at 5 East Street with his parents, William and Ann, and his siblings Arthur, Gilbert and Mildred.
William Snr. ran his own business in the town – a grocery and fancy goods shop – and by 1911 the family had moved down the road a short way and were living in the ‘Market Place.,
When he left school, William did not go into the family business. Instead he started work as a bank clerk with Lloyds Bank and worked for them at a branch at Ryde, Isle of Wight.
With the outbreak of war, William enlisted and with his working background, was enrolled with the Army Pay Corps. His records describe him as being ‘Well conducted and reliable’ and that he had ‘special qualifications’ for his role with the Pay Corps.
His records also show that he was not a well man, spending time at Queen Alexandra Barrack Military Hospital at Millbank, London.
He was discharged from the army in May 1918 ‘being no longer physically fit for war service’, having been diagnosed with severe tachycardia (irregular heartbeat) and assessed as being 40% disabled by the condition.
William was invalided home, but his condition did not improve, and he died on July 10th, 1918.
William is buried in Bridport Cemetery and remembered on the Lloyds Bank Memorial.