Stericker, WC

Sergeant William Cass Stericker

William was born on September 16^th 1877, the eldest son of a doctor, also named William Stericker, and his wife Violet. He was at Dulwich for five years, having joined at the beginning of 1889, and left in the spring of 1894, whilst a member of the Classical Remove. When the Boer War broke out he volunteered as a member of the South African Light Horse and went on to serve throughout the campaign, including being present at the Relief of Ladysmith. After the war he at first came back to England but not long later returned to South Africa where he was involved in the suppression of the Zulu Rising and later worked as a mining engineer.

When war was declared in 1914 William enlisted in the South African Irish Regiment, which took part in the capture of German South West Africa, modern-day Namibia. After this, in the early summer of 1915, he was reassigned to the Transvaal and Rhodesian Regiment with whom he subsequently came back to England as part of the African Expeditionary Force. Not long after returning he was sent to Egypt where he was involved in several engagements. In the early summer of 1916 he was transferred to the Western Front, and shortly afterwards, on July 16^th, fell during an assault at Delville Wood, on the Somme. Just before leaving Egypt he had been recommended for a commission but unfortunately perished before he was able to receive it. He was survived by his widow, Jeannie, and their two children.