Born on the 12th June 1885, William James was the fifth of eight children born to Sarah and Henry Rolfe in the small village of Wickham in Berkshire.
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| William's baptism certificate |
By the age of fifteen William was working as a cattleman on a local farm but a couple of years later had changed his employment to that of carpenter, possibly working for his father who was by that time a self-employed wood sawyer.
He started his military career in the militia, serving as a private in the Royal Army Medical Corps; five months later at the age of seventeen he enlisted in the regular army, following his older brother Alf into the York and Lancaster Regiment.
William trained as a signaller and served in that capacity during his ten years in India with the 1st battalion of the Yorks and Lancs.
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| William Rolfe - military telegraphist certificate |
After 10 years with the regiment's 1st battalion he returned to the UK not long after the outbreak of WW1. Other than a short spell in France during 1915 William spent the war in England joining the regiment's 3rd and reserve battalion in July 1917 as it's signalling sergeant.
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| William Rolfe - Signalling Sergeant and Instructor 3rd Battalion Yorks and Lancs |
Another short spell in France from the 5th November 1918 until 18th January 1919 was followed by three years in England and 3 years in Solingen, Germany.
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| William Rolfe arrowed with regiment in Solingen, Germany |
The rest of his service was spent both in England and Germany. William retired from the army in 1927 after 24 years service.
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| William Rolfe back row middle |
William joined JW Cameron and Co. and managed the Roker Hotel on the seafront at Roker in the 1930's and 40's. He retired to Ashbrooke in Sunderland where he died at home on the 11th of September 1950.
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| Sunderland Echo Tuesday Sept 12, 1950 |
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