Rifleman William Ernest Ratcliffe, S/11035, 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade, died on the Somme on August 18th, 1916.

He is recorded as having been born in Luton around 1895 and is on the Luton Roll of Honour, but without an address. It is likely that his family had left Luton before the time of his death. The 1911 Census suggests that 16-year-old William was a boarder in a boys' home in London.

The Luton News carried a picture of the late Rifleman Ratcliffe, of Luton, in its October 5th, 1916, edition, but without further details.