No.G/5075, Private, William Henry SEELEY
Aged 22
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William Henry Seeley was born in Hargrave in 1893 (Thingoe Q4-1893 4A:721) son of David and Eliza SEELEY (née TURNER).
1901 census...Aged 7, he was at Heath Cottages, Denham with his father David SEELEY [37] yardman on farm; his mother Eliza [30]; sisters Annie [13] and Ellen M [10]and brother Frederick [1] born Barrow. All except Frederick were born in Hargrave. 1911 census...Aged 17 a farm labourer, he was at Little Livermere with his parents and brother Frederick, John [8] born Denham, Albert C [5] born Little Livermere and uncle John SEELEY [50] widower farm labourer born Hargrave. One sibling had died |
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He enlisted in Bury St Edmunds. "Soldiers Died" have him born in Ingham but that is incorrect.
The battalion were at Montauban Ridge..there is a great amount of detail in the war diary here http://qrrarchive.websds.net/PDF/ESD0081916001.pdf, but in summary they actually had permission to kick footballs into no man's land ahead of them "provided proper formation and distance were kept". They reached their objective just after noon and dug in along the Mametz Road. CWGC show 139 killed, on this, the terrible first day of the Battle of the Somme. 8 are buried in Carnoy, 33 in Dantzig Alley and 98 have no known grave and are named on the Thiepval memorial
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
