Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

William was born in 1895 in Benefield, Northamptonshire, the son of farmer, William Coles Horsford and Ada Mary Horsford. He had two brothers and three sisters.

In 1901 the family lived in Benefield, Northamptonshire, but by 1911 they had moved to Stoke Doyle, near Oundle, Northamptonshire, where the household included a general domestic servant.

William enlisted on 7 October 1915, and served with the 1^st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. He passed through Peterborough East Station on 3 November 1916 and wrote in the visitors’ book:

“One here’s of all the Lincolns And the deadly work they do
But don’t forget what Lincolns did
In August at Suvla Bay.

A night I shall never forget in the Rest room at G.E. station, and many thanks for the kind ladies who waited to our needs”

At the time he was stationed at Weelsby Camp, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, in the location still known as Weelsby Woods, a large and popular public park. It was used by various regiments for training and transit during the First World War, mainly for training locally born soldiers.

William’s service record has not survived, but we know that he was killed in action at the Battle of Broodseinde on 4 October 1917, part of an offensive towards Passchendaele Ridge and is buried at the Tyne Cot Memorial Cemetery in West Flanders, Belgium. He was awarded the Star, British War and Allied Victory Medals.

He is also commemorated on the Lincolnshire Regiment Roll of Honour in Lincoln Cathedral and at Stoke Doyle Church.

Please get in touch if you can tell us more about William Horsford.