William James Tucker was born on 15 April, 1898, at 1 Sion Lane, in Trallion, Pontypridd, Glamorganshire, the son of Henry Tucker, a coal miner, and Georgina Tucker (formerly Pearce, and previously Boyland): it seems that his parents were not married, and part of a complicated family relationship.

His father, born in Exeter, in 1870, had first married one Florrie Boyland in 1890, at Exeter, who had been born at Stockland, Devonshire, c.1870: in 1891 Henry and Florrie were living at 22b Friars Walk, in Holy Trinity, Exeter, and they were to have two children, Henry Boyland Tucker (1891), and Arthur William Tucker (1893), half-brothers to William James. Florrie (Florence) died at Stoke Damerel, Plymouth, in 1897.

His father, Henry Tucker, served as a private, first in the Welch Regiment and then in the Royal Army Medical Corps during WW1. His half-brothers, Henry Boyland Tucker and Arthur William Tucker, also served in the Welch Regiment during WW1.

His mother, Georgina Pearce, born at Upottery, in Devonshire, in 1869, had married one Robert Page Boyland in 1891 and lived at Pike's Cottage, in Hemyock, Devonshire.

They were to have four children: Edith Alice Boyland (1887); Robert Boyland (1889); Matilda Bessie Boyland (1891); and Minnie Boyland (1893). Robert Page Boyland died in 1896 at Pontypridd in Glamorganshire.

It is not known when Henry Tucker and Georgina Boyland (née Pearce) began their relationship, but Henry had clearly moved to South Wales for employment, his work thereafter being linked to coal mining.

Henry Tucker and Georgina had two children together, the subject William James Tucker, in 1898, and Violet May in 1901. When William James' birth was registered his mother was listed as Georgina Tucker (formerly Pearce). Georgina Tucker died in the late summer of 1904, at Pontypridd.

Four years later, in late 1908, Henry Tucker re-married, one Harriett Susannah Cripps (formerly Williams) a widow.

She came with six children: Ethel May Williams (1895/96); Florence Cripps (1898); Reginald Edwin Cripps (1900); Alfred James Cripps (1901); Doris Maud Cripps (1902); and Blodwen May Cripps (1905). All had been born at Treharris, in Glamorganshire, except for Ethel May.

By this marriage William James Tucker was to acquire a further half-brother, George (1908), and two half-sisters, Edith Rose Tucker (1911), and Gladys Georgina Tucker (1913), who were all born at Ynysboeth, Glamorganshire.

Thus, William James Tucker had one full-blood sibling, ten half-blood siblings and six step-siblings, seven by his mother's previous relationships and six by his step-mother's previous relationships: a total of 18 children in the 'Tucker' household over a period of 25 years.

By 1901 the family was living at 56 Norton Road, Pontypridd, Glamorganshire, but ten years later were living at 97 Kennard Street, Ynysboeth, Abercynon, Glamorganshire. Following William James Tucker's death his father and step-mother lived at 93 Avondale Street, Ynysboeth. William James Tucker was unmarried.

William James Tucker's service papers have not survived, but it can be calculated from the war gratuity paid that he served for less than twelve months.

The war gratuity of £5 indicates that he had enlisted within 12 months of his date of death.

Therefore, he enlisted sometime after March, 1917, and did so at Mountain Ash, in Monmouthshire, as a private, in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, with the number 69675: he would have been conscripted, aged 18 or 19.

At some point, prior to embarking for France, he transferred into the Machine Gun Corps (MGC) (Infantry), as a private, with the new number, 128904.

It is not known on what date William James Tucker embarked for France, but it is estimated that he did so in late 1917 or early 1918, more likely in early 1918. This is supported by the dates of casualties with service numbers close to his.

Of those members of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, with numbers in the same number block, who became fatal casualties, William James Tucker was the earliest by some three months.

Of those in the MGC number block he was again the earliest, but with one more later in March, 1918, and five more in April. When he landed in France he joined either the 16th, 18th, 71st or 192nd Companies, MGC, which, on 1 March, 1918, at Favreuil, north of Bapaume, were amalgamated to form the 6th Battalion, MGC, in the 6th Division, with the companies renamed 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D' Companies respectively.

At that date 'A' Company had 16 guns in the line; 'B' and 'D' Companies 12 guns each; and 'C' Company just eight guns. During the night of 8 March the 1st Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry, made a raid on the Magpie's Nest, with covering fire being given by four guns of 'A' Company, and two guns of 'D' Company, which resulted in keeping down the enemy's fire. The expected German attack on 13 March did not take place.

At 2.00 am on 21 March a message was received that the enemy were expected to attack at dawn, and this was sent to all guns.

At 5.00 am the enemy attack commenced with a very heavy artillery bombardment including gas and other shells, and four hours later the enemy attacked in mass, and during the morning captured the whole of the front line at Lagnicourt, Noreuil and Lagnicourt Trench, and the second line.

The 18th Brigade front held on to the second line, with its flanks in the air until 7.00 pm.

At 2.00 pm the enemy had captured the strong points from Dunelm Avenue to the old brigade advanced headquarters in the sunken road, but were held in front of the Morchies-Vaulx Road.

At 6.00 pm, fearing that a large number of guns were lost, 12 new ones were indented for: the infantry held the Morchies-Vaulx line with nine of the guns, but the rest had been lost.

At 6.30 pm orders were received to send one gun to Vaulx and eight on to a line Fremicourt-Beunatre-Mory, with the commanding officer immediately riding out and selecting positions for those guns.

At 11.00 pm the 12 new guns arrived and all available men were put on to filling belts and getting the guns ready.

At 3.00 am on 22 March this preparation was completed and the guns were sent up to the positions.

At 8.30 am orders were received to send four guns to the Army line from the Beunatre-Vraucort Road to about 1,000 yards west of it, which set off half an hour later.

At 7.30 pm 12 guns of the 41st Machine Gun Battalion arrived to relieve the four guns in the Army line and the eight guns in the Fremicourt-Beunatre-Mory line, which was completed by 8.20 pm: the teams then marched independently to Longeast Camp. Sixty of the unit's 64 guns were lost during these operations.

The casualties sustained by the 6th Battalion, MGC, over 21-22 March were stated as 14 officers and 285 other ranks, one of whom was Private William James Tucker.

Officers: Other ranks: Total: Killed in action: 3 11 14. Wounded: 6 69 75. Wounded and missing: 7 7. Missing: 3 186 189. Missing, believed killed: 2 2 4. 289.

It is suspected, given his official death record stating 'death accepted for official purposes' and his entry in the soldier's effects list stating 'death presumed', that he was one of the two men listed as 'missing believed killed', although he could have been any one of the number of missing men who were subsequently never traced.

Having no known grave William James Tucker is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, in France, which is significant in identifying his unit.

The CWGC lists his unit as the 6th Company, MGC, whereas the soldier's effects lists gives it as the 6th Battalion.

The 6th Company served in the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion with the 2nd Division. This unit, whilst being engaged in the German Spring Offensive on 21-22 March, 1918, was in the process of being relieved and over those two days suffered only one man killed in action and four wounded.

However, the 6th Battalion, as stated above, was in the thick of the action and suffered high casualties: furthermore, the 6th Battalion was located not far from Arras, and its dead, with no known graves, would have been commemorated on the Arras Memorial, as William James Tucker is, whereas the 2nd Battalion was located further south and its dead, with no known grave, would have been commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

William James Tucker is also commemorated on the clock tower war memorial in his home town of Abercynon, Glamorganshire.

His service earned him the British War Medal, 1914-20; and Victory Medal, 1914-19;