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Life Story
Little is known abouty William’s life - he had married Mary Jane Hammond.
He was employed a horseman on a farm prior to enlistment. 5/11/15 In
Loughborough, Leicestershire and was recorded as living at Mill Lane,
Empingham, Rutland.
After a period of training he embarked for France with the Leciestershire
Regiment on the 29th November 1916 and he was killed by a shell in the
Noyelles area during the Cambrai operations.
The unit war diary for the day records the following:
A quiet night, patrolling carried out by two front Company’s but nothing denite
ascertained. At 8.00am the enemy commenced a heavy bombardment over
a wide area, chiey to the south and apparently a preliminary to an attack.
All communications except by runner, to both front and rear was soon cut
off . The last Company to whom communication could be maintained being
B Company which continued to report okay until 9.20am. At 10.20am C
Company reported everything all right. At 9.30am 9th Suffolk Regiment on
left reported enemy coming down Canal Bank, side unknown and smoke
barrage north west of Noyelles. At 10.00am okay was received from a
Company of 9th Suffolk Regiment in Noyelles by -?- -?-. At 11.30am D
Company report by runner no sign of the enemy attack on our front. Artillery
activity by the enemy still considerable and enemy aeroplanes ying at all