Captain William Harold Hillyer, M.C., was born on 6 May 1881 in Lewisham, the second of the four sons of William John Hillyer (1853-1885) and Sarah Ann Hillyer née Heywood (1853-1942). His father was a Serjeant at Mace to the Sheriffs of London and in the 1881 census that was taken on 3 April 1881 his parents were living at 'Struthers House', Ravensbourne Park, Lewisham, Kent.
The 1891 census shows him living at 'Knockholt', Ravensbourne Park, Lewisham, the home of his maternal grandparents Samuel Heywood (1826-1908) and Emma Heywood née Kingwell (1825-1899). His grandfather was also a Serjeant at Mace to the Sheriffs of London. He was also living here with his widowed mother, three siblings: Arthur Heywood Hillyer (1879-1958), Stanley Gordon Hillyer (1884-1965) and Claude Ernest Hillyer (1885-1893), his maternal uncle William Rowe Heywood (1868-1947), together with a cook, a mother's help and a parlour-maid.
In the 1901 census he is shown as an articled architect's clerk, still residing at 'Knockholt', Ravensbourne Park, Lewisham, with his widowed grandfather, his mother, his uncle, his two surviving siblings Arthur and Stanley, together with a cook, a housemaid and two female general domestic servants. He was a Royal Academy Schools student from 28 January 1902 to January 1905.
He is shown as an architect in the 1911 census and living at 15 Shortlands Road, Shortland, Bromley, Kent, with his mother, both brothers and two female general domestic servants.
During World War One he joined the army as a Second Lieutenant in the 3rd London Field Company, Royal Engineers, attached to the 171st Mining Company in January 1915 and entered France on 19 January 1915. He was promoted to Temporary Captain, 2nd London Divisional Engineers, Royal Engineers (Territorial) on 7 September 1915 and on 2 October 1915 he was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in mining operations at 'Hill 60', Ypres, Belgium, between 2nd and 17th April 1915. He was decorated with this award on 4 March 1916.
He was killed in action, aged 35 years, on 22 May 1916 whilst attached to the 1st/4th (London) Field Company, Royal Engineers, and was buried in Plot 3, Row K, Grave 14 of the Bethune Town Cemetery, 158-498 Rue du Mont Sorel, 62400 Béthune, France. Probate records show that his home address was 'Lyncroft', Shortlands Road, Bromley, Kent and when probate was granted on 5 July 1916 to his joint executors, his brother Arthur H. Hillyer and uncle William R. Hillyer, his estate totalled £2,205-17s-11d. On 13 September 1916 his army effects totalling £133-6s-2d were sent to his joint executors.
He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, The British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal and these were sent on 22 March 1922 to his old home address. He was also commemorated as one of the 40 names on the tablets associated with a stained glass war memorial at St Paul's Church, Waldenshaw Road, Forest Hill, Lewisham, SE23. However this church was destroyed in a German bombing raid in 1943 and the memorial is now presumed lost. He is also recorded in the Book of Remembrance at St Mary's Church, Shortlands, on the Bromley War Memorial at 1 St Paul's Square, Bromley BR2 0XH, on the Beckenham War Memorial on the roundabout at High Street, Beckenham, Bromley and on the Shortlands War Memorial at the junction of Kingswood Road and Church Road, Shortlands, Bromley.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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