Pte 17943 William Roughley (MM)

• Age: 23
• From: Ormskirk, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 8th October 1918
• Commemorated at: Busigny Cc Ext
  Panel Ref: V.A.18

William was born 1895 in Lathom, Ormskirk the son of Joseph Roughley and Jessie Forshaw who were married 1891 in Ormskirk.

1901 Census - Westhead Post Office, Lathom - Parents with children Thomas, Elizabeth A, William, Emma and John.

1911 Census Westhead, Ormskirk - Parents with Tom, William, Emma, John, Peter, George, Joseph and Frederick. William was an Office clerk.

Prior to the outbreak of war he had been employed as a clerk.

William’s service records show that he enlisted at St George's Hall, Liverpool on 03/9/1914 joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17973. He advised that he was aged 19years 6 mths. He is described as being 5’4½” tall, weighed 119lbs with a 35”chest, blue eyes, fair hair and was COE.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

Following the disbandment of the 19th Battalion he was transferred to the 14th Battalion on 01/8/18 and subsequently the when the 14th Battalion was absorbed he joined the 18th Battalion on 13/8/18. He was awarded the Military Medal on 29/8/1918. He was killed in action on the 8th October 1918 aged 23 during the hundred days offensive which ended the First World War (8^th August-11^th November 1918).

From the battalion War Diary -

07th October 1918

The battalion was billeted at TEMPLEUX-LA-FOSSE and moved forward to the HINDENBURG Line in the neighborhood of BONY, taking up previously selected position by 1545 hours.  […]  Final orders for the attack on the 8th were issued, rations were issued and everything prepared, overcoats being dumped and the necessary tools being issued.  

8th October 1918

The battalion arrived in the Assembly position in B.8.d. at 0600 hours. […]. Intermittent shelling in BELLE VUE FARM and BEAUREVOIR MILL.  Manchesters and Connaughts not in position.  At 0652 the Manchesters and Connaughts moved forward, this battalion, being in Divisional Reserve, following.  A good number of prisoners commenced to come in, the situation being good, and the Manchesters and Connaughts got into position without much difficulty.

At 1030 word was received from the Manchesters that LES FOLIES FARM was captured at 0830, and that they were advancing on to final objective, with very little opposition.

At 1235 hours our “D” Company was ordered to report to the Connaught Rangers, as reserve in case of necessity.  At 1242 “A”, “B”, and “C” Coys were ordered forward to  take up positions between PETIT FOLIES and LES FOLIES FARM in time to arrive at 1400 […], the battalion going to take over the line from the Connaughts.  At 1730 “D” Company moved forward to occupy the mill at SERAIN and help in clearing up the Village, the eastern edge of which was occupied by the Bosche, “B” Company moving up to take over part of the line from the Connaughts. 

The War Diary makes no mention of casualties for this day.   

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on Tuesday 22nd October 1918:

WESTHEAD MEDALLIST KILLED

News has been received that Private William Roughley, M.M., second son of Mr Joseph Roughley, of the post office, Westhead has been killed in action in France. Mr. Roughley has another son a prisoner of war in Germany.    

William now rests at Busigny Communal Cemetery Extension, France.

Busigny was captured by the 30th American Division and British cavalry on 9 October 1918, in the Battle of Cambrai, and in the course of the next two months the 48th, 37th and 12th Casualty Clearing Stations came successively to the village. The majority of the burials were made from these three hospitals. The cemetery extension was begun in October 1918, and used until February 1919. After the Armistice it was enlarged when graves were brought into Plots II-VII of graves from a wide area between Cambrai and Guise.  Busigny Communal Cemetery Extension contains 670 First World War burials, 64 of them unidentified. The extension was designed by Charles Holden.

William is commemorated on the family headstone and the following Memorials:

St James Church

Burscough & Lathom Civic Memorial.

We currently have no further information on William Roughley, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.