WILLIAM CHANT
1895 - 24 April 1917
At School 1906 - 1909
Pte 8461 17th Manchester Regt
William was born in Moss Side, Manchester in May 1895 and in 1901 aged 5 was living at 127 Raby Street, Moss Side, with father Thomas, a Brewer's Traveller, mother Anna, and four brothers and sisters. In 1906 he joined the School from Princess Road Municipal School with a foundation scholarship, leaving in 1909. By 1911 the family had moved just round the corner to 6 Heslington Street, Moss Side. with the addition of a youngest brother. William, aged 15, was now working as a clerk with Messrs Deliyanni, wholesale tobacconists, of Moss Lane East, Moss Side. William's service records survive and show he enlisted in the 2nd City Battalion, (17th Manchester Pals),
Manchester Regt., in Manchester on 3rd September 1914, aged 19 years 3 months, height 5 ft 8 and a half inches, weight 125 lbs with a ruddy complexion, dark grey eyes and dark hair'.
He is included in the photograph of "A" Company Platoon No. III but as yet has not been identified.
The Battalion initially trained at Heaton Park, Manchester, accommodated in tents near the hall but with the approach of
winter moved into huts near the St Margaret’s entrance to the park. Company training began around Christmas time and continued throughout January and the beginning of February but was much interfered with by the bad weather, but, on the whole the men made excellent progress in what was rapidly turning into a quagmire. On the 24th April 1915 the battalion moved to Belton Park in Grantham, Lincolnshire, where training and discipline intensified and finally, on 7th September 1915, the Battalion moved to Lark Hill on Salisbury Plain to complete its training, and on 7th November William embarked at Southampton for France with the regimental transport, the rest of the Battalion embarking at Folkestone the following day.

On the evening of the 12th, the Battalion was relieved by the 16th Manchesters. On the morning of the 16th the Battalion was digging new assembly trenches near the front lines when a British bombardment began on the German trenches. Unfortunately many shells dropped short and parts of the newly dug trenches were blown in. It is likely that William was caught by this "friendly fire" as he was wounded on this day in both feet and the left ear, suffering from Left Otitis Media, an infection of the middle ear. He was sent to the 48th General hospital at Rouen, from where he was sent back to "Blighty" on 3 November 1916 to the 4th General hospital, Stobhill, Glasgow. Despite appearing to make considerable progress towards recovery William died from Septicaemia on 24 April 1917 aged 22. His body was returned to his parents and he
was buried in Manchester Southern Cemetery on 28 April. The Hulmeian Magazine reported that a party of thirteen School Cadets attended the funeral, six acting as bearers. It is possible that his death resulted more from his ear infection than his wounds to his feet, however, although a medical report was requested in November 1917, there does not appear to be one included in his records.
William's headstone is also a memorial to his younger brother, Robert, who died in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916, aboard HMS Invincible, aged 17 years.