William Owen has not been identified. Those that died during the war with the name “William Owen” totalled no less than 102 in the Army (of which 42 had no middle name or initial) and three each in the Royal Navy and Mercantile Marine; but once again none were found to be born in Flintshire, except perhaps one who resided in Llanasa nineteen miles from Buckley and enlisted in Holywell. This was Driver 266885 William Owen of 76th Brigade Royal Field Artillery who was killed in action in France on 19th October 1918, but other than that very little is known about him.
What we know about William Owen:
- Identified as William on the Memorial (and distinct from Wilfred Owens)
- Not on the roll of honour for those who had joined up by Oct 1914
- Not found in County of Flint index for those who died (but we know this has only 70 names vs. 114 on Memorial)
- Found on Bistre Church memorial among 67 “men of this parish”
- Not found on any other town/village memorials
- No connection to Buckley seen in Soldiers Died
- Not found in Buckley monumental inscriptions
- Two possibilities in the 1911 census are: William Owen, Pentre Mold, 32, with a son age 4 born in Mynydd Isa; and William H Owen, Chambers Lane, Mynydd Isa, age 4 in 1891