William Hailwood was serving in the 1st Volunteers Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment when he elected to join the Royal Lancaster Regiment on the 16th January 1904, serving as Private 8091; he gave his age as 19 years and four months.
However, his father George bought him out of the Army nine days later by paying the sum of £10. His Pension Record in the National Archives shows that this amount was repaid to Mr. Hailwood on the 12th June 1916 due to his son “now serving as Private 15989 in the 11th East Lancs. Regt.”. Sadly no other records survive of William Hailwood’s time in the Army, nor of his service with the Pals.
The 1901 Census records him a being born in Chorley in 1887, one of six children of Esther and George; they lived at 198 Moor Road and William was working in a Calico Printworks. He was still single and living with his parents in 1911, this time at 291 Moor Road in Chorley.
Other Information: William’s younger brother, Walter, served as Private 19545 in the 1st Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment; he was killed at Loos on the 25th September 1915.
