William Henderson came from a long line of shipwrights in Falmouth Cornwall.  When war broke out he was in camp with the Falmouth Territorials and afterwards proceeded to India where he volunteered for the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry. His family have several poignant letters between him and his Father, another William, who served in the Royal Navy. In one William junior says " Dear Father, Just a line to let you know I am allright. I am in the Persian Gulf with the 2nd Dorset. ....It's very hot out here about 113 in the shade. I bet we will find it cold when we come home again.They are giving the Turks Hell out here.I think it will soon be over,well I hope so for I am fed up with this kind of life.

Good luck from your loving son William.

William never returned home and was captured in the siege of Kut in what is now Iraq.He died of dysentery and is buried in Baghdad .His obituary in a local paper said "he was of fine physique,light hearted and of an exceedingly jovial disposition...a fine footballer,strong swimmer,and always one whose play was beyond reproach."

His nephew, born in 1921 was named William Henderson Gater in his honour and two subsequent generations of the Gater family carry his name. His name truly lives on.

In  grateful loving memory of a brave young man from his family.

Bill Gater