My father was Gunner/Driver William Lawrence Kirkland 967253 115th Field regiment Royal Artillery. Our family are sad to announce his sad loss. Bill passed away on Saturday 23rd July 2005 after a short illness.

Bill leaves his wife of 68 years Marjorie and his 7 children, Greta Madonna, Brian, myself Linda, Paul, Stephen, Janet, and Olwyn, and all his grandchildren and great grandchildren and great, great, grand children.

Bill married Marjorie in 1938. He came from a long line of Romanies and was known by the nickname 'Gypsy Bill' his family lived at a place in Cliff Vale called North Street, Stoke-On-Trent where they had lived for 300 years. He was a slaughterman on leaving school and remained one after the war until he retired. 

Bill had only been married for 2 years before he was off to the war, he was stationed at Oswestry, and then down to Brighton on the south coast before leaving on the Troop Ship Caledonian for the far East. He saw action at Imphal and Kohima. He never spoke about what happened out there except to say it was very tough.

He was cremated on Monday August 1st, and he had 2 ex-Service men who carried the Burma Star Flags, also we had the Union Flag to drape his coffin and we also had the Last Post played for him. Bill also leaves a sister Olga and 2 brothers Reggie and Leonard, Leonard read a eulogy and also sang a song they all sang as they came out of Burma the words are as follows: - "The Road To Mandalay"

 

        

 

   God Bless you Dad, and all who fought with you. 18/10/1919 - 23/7/2005.