Captain William Gabriel KING-PEIRCE (1894)

3rd (Reserve) Battalion, attached to 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment
Born 5 July 1875 in Kensington, London
Killed in action 26 October 1914, aged 39
Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France.

William King-Peirce was the son of Richard King-Peirce and Frances Agnes, née Price. He was married to Mary Agnes, née Fisher in 1903.

He was educated at Bradfield College, where he captained the Football XI in 1893, played cricket, and was a prefect. He took his BA in 1898. Whilst at Merton he captained the College VIII.

He joined the Manchester Regiment in May 1899, and fought in Orange Free State, Transvaal, Orange River Colony, Cape Colony, at Biddulphsberg, and at Wittebergen in the South African War. He was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with 4 clasps. He was made a Captain in 1901. He left the regular army in November 1911, joining the 3rd Battalion, Manchester Regiment, in May 1912.

At the outbreak of war he was sent to France.

He was killed in action at Festubert, during the Battle of La Bassée, on 26 October 1914.