Military History

William is listed as being killed in action on 15th December 1916. The 4th Battalion war diary entry for the 15th December 1916 is transcribed below, an article in the Leamington Spa Courier reports a letter from a comrade to Williams parents states:

"He gave his life to save another. The Battalion were being heavily shelled and Harold had gone with a companion into a dug-out for safety but as another fellow was running into the dug-out a shell came and buried him. Harold and his companion ran out and commenced to dig him out when another shell landed in the same spot and killed all three."

War Diary - Wedge Wood – 15 Dec 1916: The following work was done:-

No 1 Company working on road from Combles to Haie put down 30 loads of brick & laid 75 yards of log kerbing.

No 3 Coy working on grid track near Sailley Avenue – dug track to Chateau Grounds & laid 193 grids.

No 2 Coy did not go out to work owing to no grids being available.

2/Lt D.S. Lumsden & 1 other rank joined Battn as draft & posted to No 3 Coy.

Casualties: Killed:                  No 16932 Pte W H Day (No 1 Coy)
                                               No 14858 Pte H Wood (No 1 Coy)
                   Wounded:            No 14732 Pte W Woolgrove (No 1 Coy)
                                               No 14661 Pte A Holroyd (No 1 Coy)
                                               No 10834 Pte W Fowler (No 2 Coy)
                                               No 8775 Pte J Goddard (No 2 Coy) (still at duty)