RHODY LIFE

A survivor of the Great War

Posted 9/24/21

By KELLY SULLIVAN William Henry Sefton was only 2 years old when his family left Manchester, England and made the eight-day journey to America aboard the Ivernia. He docked in Boston with his father, William Henry Sr., and his mother, Amy (Hughes). They

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RHODY LIFE

A survivor of the Great War

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William Henry Sefton was only 2 years old when his family left Manchester, England and made the eight-day journey to America aboard the Ivernia.

He docked in Boston with his father, William Henry Sr., and his mother, Amy (Hughes). They settled on Plainfield Street in Johnston and his father secured employment in a cotton mill.

Little did William know that, by the time he reached adulthood, he would be across the ocean again, locked away in a prison camp and wondering if he’d ever be returned to freedom.

Standing nearly 6 feet tall and weighing about 170 pounds, William was a strong, healthy 17-year-old when he enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 6, 1917. He was to take part in World War I, serving as a private in Battery C of the 103 Field Artillery.

In the spring of 1918, William’s family was informed that he was missing in action. Their fear was a bit alleviated when they received a letter from him, dated April 30. It read, “I am a prisoner of war in Germany. I am alright and hope to pull through. Myself and eight others were captured after a big attack by the Germans. There was quite a few killed and wounded in the attack but most of us stuck out pretty lucky. Just after being captured, we were taken to a small village. We are located in a camp with some English Tommies and some Frenchmen who were captured some time before.”

William was writing from the Darmstadt Prison Camp, located in the city of Darmstadt, in the state of Hesse, Germany. In later years, some of the former prisoners would report having been treated well while others underwent great brutality.

The daily fare consisted of black coffee for breakfast and rations of dog meat and potatoes for lunch and dinner. The men were expected to complete several hours of hard labor each day before returning to their wooden barracks under the watchful eyes of men in the guard tower.

Their individual sleeping quarters were simply wooden chairs lined up and laid flat. The men would sleep on the ground between the legs of the chair, which kept everyone neatly contained in their own small space.

A single long shelf ran along the wall behind the sleeping quarters where the prisoners could keep their personal items, clothing, shoes, hats, bowls and eating utensils. The Red Cross regularly sent packages of food, cigarettes and games with which to while away the time and keep spirits up.

William survived the POW camp and returned home to Johnston, receiving an honorable discharge from the Army on April 29, 1919. He found work as a machinist in a machine shop and married Lillian Patterson. In 1926, they welcomed a son, William George Sefton.

William died on June 14, 1967, and was buried in North Burial Ground in Providence, an American hero.

Kelly Sullivan is a Rhode Island columnist, lecturer and author.

survivor, great war

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