William Royal Carlisle (1896-1918)

William Royal Carlisle was born in Pittsburgh on Mar. 1, 1896, the oldest child of Samuel Carlisle and Margaret Louise Uffelman Carlisle. Both parents were immigrants; the father was from Ireland, the mother was from Germany. In 1900, the father worked as a gardener for wealthy families, with the family renting a place on Fillmore Street. They later bought a home at 1370 Missouri Ave.
Probably due to the mother’s influence, Carlisle was baptized at Pittsburgh’s St. Luke’s Memorial Lutheran Church on Mar. 22.
Future siblings included Samuel John Carlisle, Margaret Louise Carlisle Hebert, Jean E. Carlisle Klauss, and David Alexander Carlisle.
William Royal Carlisle graduated from Peabody High School in 1916. A talented musician, the Pittsburgh Press noted that Carlisle performed a violin solo during Peabody’s June commencement exercises. As a student, he had served as first chair in the second violin section of the high school orchestra, and took part in citywide music festivities.
Carlisle’s World War I Draft Registration Card describes him as having a medium height and slender build, with light hair and blue eyes. By this time, Carlisle had entered the workforce as an employee with the Standard Underground Cable Company, though still residing at the family’s Missouri Avenue home.
Eventually, he enlisted in the Army with Company I of the 320th Infantry, 80th Division. Perhaps unique among Peabody student soldiers, Carlisle served as a bugler.
He was first sent to Camp Lee (now Fort Gregg-Adams) in October 1917, and then shipped to France in June 1918.
Contrary to what one might think, being a bugler was not exactly a plum position. During World War I, buglers had far more responsibilities than playing morning reveille. In fact, buglers were assigned the task of playing command signals for the troops during battle. To do so required them to stand erect and play the bugle with enough force that their comrades could hear them above all the shouting, explosions, and gunfire. This made buglers strategic targets for the enemy.
William Royal Carlisle was killed in action on August 1, 1918—one of the first Pittsburgh men to lose his life for his country during World War I. His father was the one who received the sad news by telegram. Services in Carlisle’s honor were held at the Lemington Presbyterian Church.
Later on, the Trees-Carlisle Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in East Liberty would be named in honor of Carlisle and James Graham Trees.
Carlisle is buried at Mt. Royal Cemetery in Glenshaw.