Name
William James Kelly
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/03/1916
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
16528
Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LILLERS COMMUNAL CEMETERY
IV. E. 36.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Sawbridgeworth Town Memorial,
Great St Mary’s Church Memorial, Sawbridgeworth,
We are not aware of any memorial in Spellbrook
Pre War
Son of Mrs. Emma Kelly, of Spellbrook, Bishop's Stortford, Herts. He was born in Spellbrook in 1887 and was baptised at Sawbridgeworth in November that year.
In the 1911 census, he was a ‘Horse Keeper for a Hay Dealer’.
With the outbreak of war, William became a ‘Kitchener’ volunteer and enlisted at Bishop’s Stortford being recorded as a resident of Stratford, Essex when he enlisted.
Wartime Service
After training, he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. This was a regular battalion which took heavy losses in the initial fighting of 1914. William was therefore a replacement.
At the beginning of 1916, the Battalion was moved into trenches near Vimy Ridge, and relieved French soldiers there. Although the Battalion was not involved in a major offensive at this time, there were still daily casualties through general attrition.
William Kelly died of his wounds on 9 March 1916, almost certainly through this daily attrition. He was aged 28.
William Kelly is buried in Lillers Communal Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His headstone reads “Requiescat in Peace” as requested by his mother.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Douglas Coe
