One of the people featured in Matt Cass’s and my book, ‘100 Gloucester Characters’, is Bill Clements, known as ‘Barton Billy’.

Bill was a prisoner of war of the Japanese who, on release, slept rough because his experiences in the POW camps left him afraid of enclosed spaces – even his own home. He and his fellow prisoners were treated appallingly and were forced into slave labour in the camps. He returned to the UK a broken man, even losing the power of speech.

Bill, who had joined the 3rd (The King’s Own) Hussars before the war, came back to Gloucester in 1945 with a head injury and as an emaciated shadow of his former self. He turned to drink and wandered the city streets by day and night.

Locals remember seeing him sitting on Barton Street by the doctors’ surgery or All Saints Church, or part way up Victoria Street. People would talk to him and give him food, drink and clothing. He was also looked after by officers from the Barton Street police station. After a time living in the Bohanam House nursing home in Barnwood, Bill died in March 1995.

Many fond memories of Bill

When Matt and I have posted about him on social media, we have been struck by the number of comments and the many fond memories there were of Bill. A number of people wanted to know his resting place so they could pay their respects. With the help of the City Council’s crematorium team, we established that Bill was cremated and his ashes scattered on his family’s grave in the Old Cemetery at Tredworth.

Thanks to the crematorium staff, we located the grave, but there is nothing to mark where it is. We launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £1,000 to put a proper memorial at Bill’s resting place and we were delighted when the fundraising target was reached in a little over two days! The order has now been placed and the memorial should be installed in the spring. It will be a fitting tribute to a man remembered with much affection.