William Hampton 108268

Believed to be William (left) and brother Henry

William Hampton Jr. was born in Warsaw, Ontario on February 21^st, 1887 to parents, William Hampton Sr. and Elizabeth Baigent.  The Hamptons farmed on lot 24 of the 4^th Concession of Dummer Township, until sometime around 1901, when the family moved to the township of Smith near Lakefield.

Sometime during the 1910’s, William went west with his two brothers, Isaac and Henry in search of work in the prairies.  He enlisted with 3^rd Canadian Mounted Rifles on March 9^th, 1915 in Medicine Hat, Alberta.  He was 28 years old, and stood 5 foot nine inches tall.  He had a fair complexion, grey eyes and auburn air. His occupation was a farmer and a member of the Church of England.  He had no previous military experience.  It is interesting to note that William was one of three Hampton brothers who enlisted and saw service in trenches.

William and the 3^rd Canadian Mounted Rifles sailed from Halifax on June 12 1915.  Upon landing in England the 3^rd C.M.R. travelled to Shorncliffe Camp to train.  Hampton spent four months in England before being sent with the Mounted Rifles to France on September 22^nd 1915.

On October 11^th, 1915 in the area of Dickebusch, Belgium, an area in the rear of the Ypres sector.  It was here that Trooper Hampton was shot in the head by an enemy sniper.  He was reported to have fallen two stories out a window upon being hit.  He was evacuated to the General Hospital in Camiers, France and for five days suffered from delirium and the inability to move due to severe back pain from his fall.  He also sported a large wound on his scalp.

After a week and his condition was stabilized, William was sent to the military hospital in Nottingham for further treatment.  He remained in hospital until January 11^th 1916, when he was discharged to Shorncliffe training camp to await his return to the trenches.

It was here that William was struck down with pleurisy on January 25^th, which later developed into bronchitis.  Hampton’s condition worsened further in April of 1916, when he suffered from an acute vomiting attack, and stomach pains.  He entered the hospital at Moore Barracks and was diagnosed with chronic peritonitis.  He suffered through a painful pelvic abscess and severe stomach pains before being discharged on August 23^rd 1916 to the Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre. Upon release a medical board characterized Hampton as medically unfit for military service and recommended his permanent discharge.

William was transported back to Canada where he continued to receive outpatient treatments in Kingston, Ontario for over two years.  He was formally discharged on February 25^th, 1918 in Kingston with a 50% pension owing to his disability.  He returned to live for some time in Lakefield, Ontario.

William Hampton died in Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto on October 6, 1965.