Kyle, William George (William)
Rifleman
No. 70500, 3rd Battalion, 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade, New Zealand Expeditionary Force
Died of wounds on Wednesday 9 October 1918 (aged 23)
Buried:
Naves Communal Cemetery Extension, France (Grave I. F. 5)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
New Zealand Roll of Honour
New Zealand War Memorial
Bangor and District War Memorial
Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque
Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum
BIOGRAPHY
William George Kyle was born on 24 April 1895 in Westford, Massachusetts in the United States of America and he was the eldest son of Samuel Alexander and Mary Ann Kyle (nee Stirk) who were married on 16 June 1894 in Westford, Massachusetts, USA. Samuel Kyle (son of William and Catherine Kyle nee Smylie) was born on 4 April 1869 in Bangor, Co Down and Mary Kyle (nee Stirk, daughter of Frederick and Helen Stirk nee Brown) was born in 1875 in Birmingham, England.
The Kyle family lived in Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.
The Kyle family moved from USA to Bangor where they lived at 37 Crosby Street. Samuel Kyle worked as a gas-meter inspector and foreman in Bangor Gas Works and he and Mary had at least six children including:
William George (born 24 April 1895 in USA)
Frederick J (born August 1897 in USA)
Samuel Alexander (born 1 January 1904 in Bangor; died 28 May 1906)
Catherine Eleanor (Kathleen, born 24 July 1907 at 37 Crosby Street, Bangor)
David (born 7 March 1911)
William George Kyle moved to New Zealand in 1913 where he worked in Auckland as a driver. He enlisted on 14 September 1917 and went to France in June 1918 as a Rifleman with the 3rd Battalion of the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade.
Rifleman William George Kyle was 23 when he died on 9 October 1918 from wounds received in action and at the time of his death his parents were living at 4 Clifton Road, Bangor.
Rifleman William George Kyle was buried in Naves Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
Rifleman William George Kyle is commemorated on the New Zealand Roll of Honour; on the New Zealand War Memorial; on Bangor and District War Memorial; in the Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum (Page 51) and on the Memorial Plaque in the Royal British Legion Bangor Branch.
William George Kyle’s father, Samuel Alexander Kyle, died on 11 February 1955 (aged 85) and he was buried in Bangor Cemetery, Newtownards Road, Bangor.