Military History

William is listed as having died of wounds in the field on 30 Jul 1915. His remains were never recovered and he is remembered on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial. The 7th Battalion war diary entry for 30 Jul 1915 is transcribed below.

Hooge July 29^th 11.50pm: Relieved by 8^th Bn Rifle Brigade

Hooge July 30^th 1.20am: Relief Completed

Vlamertinghe  July 30^th 3.45am: Battalion arrived at Rest Camp.

4.45am: Received orders to be prepared to return to Ypres in Support

5.30am: Orders received to return to Ypres with as much S.A.A. as possible

7.00am: Having filled water bottles and issued rations and extra S.A.A. the Battalion started and halted on the road between Asylum and Ruistraat till 11.30am. The CO and Adjt having in the meantime been to 41^st Bde HQ in ramparts Ypres to receive orders. Heard that Hooge had been captured by the enemy. Orders to  march via Zillebeck to Zouave wood and to form up in support of 8^th Bn Rifle Bde to counterattack.

Zouave Wood 1.40pm: The communication trench was very cruddy and bad, the head of the Bttn in single file reached Zouave Wood about 1.40pm.

2pm: Bombardment by our artillery commenced for ¾ hrs. During this time the Battalion formed up in the wood in the rear of 8^th Bn R.B as follows:-

C company in column of Platoons on left of Communication trench called Old Bond Street

B in similar formation on right of C trench

A behind C in similar formation

D behind B in similar formation with interval between Platoons of about 50 yards.

All this time the Germans provide a terrific fire of heavy high explosive into the N portion of the wood, making our preparation very difficult and causing many casualties.

2.45pm: Bombardment ceased and assembly commenced. By request of OC 8^th Bn out leading line started in support at once. Their exit from the wood was impeded by our barbed wire and owing to M.G. fire of the enemy very few got beyond the edge of the wood. From my Battn HQ where the Southern Arm leaves the main wood I could observe and saw that the attack was not progressing as I could see some of our men outside the wood towards the objective. The flow of lines continued but some got beyond the wire. I reported that more men would be required if the attack was to be persisted with.

I was told to consolidate my position. So I held the North edge of the wood where there erected a fire trench in a poor condition with the remains of the Battalion and ordered my HQ party and Machine Gunners to dig a second line along the 3 edges of wood (our Machine Guns had been taken to 8^th R.B. overnight in the trenches & were probably captured.  I kept the Machine Gunners by me  is case we recaptured any guns.

July 31st - 12.30am: The D.C.L.I. Battn of 14^th Division had followed my Battn into the wood and were in reserve, they came up and with 2 Coys held my 2^nd line and reinforced y 1^st line. Eventually about midnight they relieved all my men and the Battalion collected in the rear of the wood and marched back to Vlamerting Popering Road arriving at a rear camp at 4.30am.