William Napier was born in 1893 in Down, County Down, Ireland (now Northern Ireland), one of the nine children of Alexander Napier (1855-1934) and Hester Mary Napier née Maxwell (1863-1920).
In the 1901 census he was shown as aged 8 years and a scholar living in a house containing at least 10 rooms in Ballybranagh Upper, Ardglass, Down, Ireland, together with his parents and six siblings: Margaret (Greta) Napier (b.1889) a scholar; James Napier (1890-1947) a scholar; Elizabeth Napier (b.1892) a scholar; Agnes Napier (b.1895) a scholar; Hester (Hessie) Napier (b.1897) and Johnson Napier (b.1899) along with a female general domestic servant. His father was described as a farmer.
When the 1911 census was undertaken he was described as aged 17 years and a scholar, still residing at Ballybranagh Upper, Ardglass, Down, Ireland with his parents and seven siblings: Margaret (Greta) Napier; James Napier, a farmer's son; Elizabeth Napier; Agnes Napier, a scholar; Hester (Hessie) Napier, a scholar; Johnson Napier, a scholar and Jane Napier (b.1902) a scholar, together with a female domestic servant. His father continued to listed as a farmer. The census form confirms that his mother had given birth to nine children, but that only eight were still alive.
From his obituary in the British Medical Journal we learn that he was educated at Campbell College, Belfast, Ireland (now Northern Ireland). He broke off his medical studies at Queen's University, Belfast, at the beginning of the 1914-1918 war and was soon in command of a Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) unit in France, service number 100465, initially as a Lieutenant before being promoted to Captain and, in addition to being Mentioned in Despatches, he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal. Towards the end of that war he graduated as a Bachelor of Medicine (M.B.) and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (F.R.C.S.I.) in 1920. After the war he continued as a Captain in the RAMC (Special Reserve). At school and university he was one of the best forwards in the rugby sides and played in the Irish Trials.
On 12 September 1922 he married Katherine Margaret Keightley (1897-1985) at St John the Evangelist Church, 141 Malone Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland and they had three children: Maureen Maxwell Napier (1923-2015); William Maxwell Napier (1925-2020) and Deirdre Margaret Napier (1927-1945).
Electoral registers from 1924 to 1931 show him listed at 55 Church Street, Epsom, Surrey and the 1936 Epsom Street Directory records him at 57 Church Street, Epsom.
He was a physician & surgeon at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Both he and his daughter, Deirdre Margaret Napier, were killed as a result of enemy action on 3 January 1945, when a V2 rocket exploded in the north east wing of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. His death was registered in the 1st quarter of 1945 in the Chelsea Registration District, London and he was recorded as being aged 50 years.
Both he and his daughter were cremated and their ashes were buried in the Ballee Church of Ireland Churchyard, Ballysallagh Road, Downpatrick, County Down, BT30 7EQ, Northern Ireland.
England & Wales Probate Records confirm his address to have been the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, SW10 (sic), where he died on war service on 3 January 1945. Probate was granted to his widow on 10 April 1945 and his effects totalled £15,647-4s-3d. The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland website shows his addresses to have been Beechwood, Epsom, Surrey and the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, S.W.10. (sic). His Northern Ireland effects totalled £23-5s-0d.
He is shown as 'WILLIAM NAPIER.MAJOR. R.A.M.C., PHYSICIAN & SURGEON' on the stone memorial in the Middle Court of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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