Town Memorial P9.R3.C3
Taken Not Given,
Liam Sumption, L&DLHS
Pte [sic]
William Worsfold
1st East Surrey Regiment
Bapaume
Aug 24 1918
The regimental records of the East Surreys give the following particulars of William Worsfold.
He was born¹ at Leatherhead and enlisted at Guildford and was serving with the 1st Bn East Surreys as a Lance Corporal [not as a Private as on the memorial] when he was killed in action on 21st August 1918 [not the 24th as on the memorial]. His regimental number was 32732.
What happened to the 1st Bn East Surreys is based on what is told in the unit War Diary².
At 8.30 p.m. the battalion paraded and marched up to the assembly point. On 21st August it took up a position in MEANE TRENCH with the 1st Befordshires on the left and the 1st Devons on the right.
ZERO hour was 4.55 a.m.
A and C Coys went over the top first at ZERO + 4 minutes and B and D at ZERO + 8 minutes. Heavy mist prevailed. News came back at 11.30 a.m.. The battalion had stopped at the RED LINE and isolated machine-gun posts had caused some losses. The accompanying tanks has been knocked out. Four officers had been wounded and there had been 75 O.R. casualties.
The battalion had taken 70 prisoners and captured 25 machine-guns, a field gun and 6 trench mortars.
Sources
1. Soldiers Who Died in the Great War, East Surreys Volume,
Queens Regimental Museum, Clandon Park, Surrey
2. File WO95/1579 War Diary 1st Bn East Surreys, Public Record
Office , Kew, London
3. ESR/2/3/29
| Name:
WORSFOLD,
WILLIAM Rank: Lance Corporal Regiment/Service: 1st Bn. East Surrey Regiment Age: 27 Date of Death: 21/08/1918 Service No: 32732 Additional information: Son of William and Jane Worsfold, of Bridge St., Leatherhead; husband of Elisabeth Brittan (formerly Worsfold), of 92, Lower Rd., Dorking, Surrey. Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 6. Memorial: VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL Janice Steele of Fetcham U3A Local History Group added in 2009: The Nominal Roll ³ for the 1st Bn shows he joined it on 7 Dec 1916, posted to No. 3 Coy. He was wounded on 18 Feb 1917, sent to a Casualty Clearing Station the following day and rejoined the Bn on 14 May 1917. In Oct 1917 he was promoted to Lance Corporal and on 18 Oct 1917 he was sent on an LG [Lewis Gun] course.
The photo of William Worsfold was provided by Mrs Betty Worsfold of Fetcham, via Janice Steele. |
 |
| Mrs Betty Worsfold also provided this photo of
Cpl William Worsfold (R) with Sgt Frank Worsfold (middle) and
Pte Jack Worsfold (L). In civilian life William was a Chimney Sweep and Firewood Dealer. The Firefighters Memorial Trust records him as a member of the Leatherhead Fire Brigade. Frank and Jack survived the war. |
 |
October 1914 C. In the Territorial
Battalions, or New Army. Worsfold, Corpl.
W., 5th E. Surrey (T)
July 1915 C. In the Territorial Battalions, or
New Army. Worsfold, Corpl. W., 5th E.
Surrey (T)
October 1915 C. In the Territorial Battalions, or New
Army. Worsfold, Corpl. W., 5th E.
Surrey (T)
January 1916 C. In the Territorial Battalions, or New
Army. Worsfold, Corpl. W., 5th E.
Surrey (T)
March 1916 C. In the Territorial Battalions, or
New Army. Worsfold, Corpl. W., 5th E.
Surrey (T)
The November 1916 issue reported on his brother Howard:
The Military Medal for gallantry has been awarded to Drummer H. Worsfold, 18th Bn. Canadian Contingent.
That award was also cited in the April 1917 issue:
FOR KING AND COUNTRY.
Howard Worsfold, 18th Canadian Infantry, now on service in Flanders.
And finally in the October 1918 issue:
FOR KING AND COUNTRY.
Lce.-Cpl. William Worsfold, East Surrey Regt., Aug. 21st, 1918
In her book Leatherhead in the Great War, Lorraine Spindler tell the harsh story of Wiiliam's treatment by the Leatherhead Military Tribunal. Many men sought exemption from conscription for various reasons. They had to appear before the local Tribunal. the hearings typically lasting about teen minutes, with representation by a friend or solicitor being permitted. Both sides had the right of appeal.
On 21 October 1916 William Worsfold, a chimney sweep and firewood merchant, from Bridge Street was brought before the tribunal. He had been granted exemption from service at the Leatherhead Tribunal but Mr Rivington [the Military Representative] had appealed against the decision.
William had joined the East Surrey
Territorials on 18 August 1913. When the war broke out he volunteered to
go overseas with his regiment to India. He returned from India on 15
December 1915 and was honourably discharged, as his service period had
expired.
William's father had died in January 1915, while four of of his sons were
fighting overseas. There were an additional two children who had died
before the Census.
By February 1915 Jane Worsfold, wife of
William Worsfold senior was living in Leatherhead, as a widow, with two
teenage children at home and four sons fighting overseas.
It appears that William's intention was to support his mother and get the
family business back in order. His uncle had kept the business running
while William was in India but his uncle was now ill.
On 21 November 1916 William married Elizabeth
Skene Murrison at the church of St Mary and St Nicholas. His younger
brother Ernest and sister Nelly were witnesses. The wedding took place
shortly after William's exemption was revoked.
William was conscripted back into 3 Company, 1st Battalion of the East
Surrey Regiment on 7 December 1916. He was wounded on 18 Feb 1917, sent to
a Casualty Clearing Station and rejoined the Battalion on 14 May 1917.
In Oct 1917 he was promoted to Lance Corporal
and on 18 October 1917 he was sent on Lewis Gun course.
[In late 1917 his Casualty Form - Active Service is stamped
'Proceeded to ITALY', and in early 2018 'Returned to France'.
He was granted Leave 4.7.17 to 15.7.18.]
He was killed in action on 21 August 1918 and
his body was never found. William's name is listed on the Vis-en-Artois
Memorial.
Elizabeth was married to William for nine months before she was widowed.
In 1920 she remarried, her second husband was Edwin Alfred Brittan, a
wounded soldier, who had been invalided out of the east Kent Regiment in
November 1916.
His life
He was born on 3 April 1891 and baptised on 7 June 1891at Leatherhead
Parish Church, Surrey
His father was also named William Worsfold, born Rusper, Sussex on 4 May
1860, a son of James Worsfold (1830-1922) and Mary Ann Horley b 1834.
William snr was a Chimney Sweep.
There does not appear to be any close family connection with Private Frederick Worsfold of the East Surreys, who is also named on Leatherhead War Memorial.
His mother was Jane Mills born in Leigh,
Surrey, and baptised there on 9 May 1858, a daughter of James Mill and
Martha Sayers.
William snr and Jane were married on 30 October 1886 at Madehurst, Sussex.
Jane had 8 children 2 of whom died. The six
who reached adulthood were (approximate birth years): William 1891, Frank
1893, Howard 1894, Jack 1897, Nell 1898, and Ernest 1900.
He married Elizabeth Skene Murrison (later Brittan) on 21 November 1916 at
Leatherhead Parish Church:
William Worsfold - 25 - Bachelor - Chimney
Sweep, Corporal 5th East Surrey Regt - Mole House, River Lane,
Leatherhead: Father - William Worsfold, deceased, Chimney Sweep
Elizabeth Skene Murrison - 27 - Spinster - Domestic Servant - Royal School
for the Blind, Leatherhead: Father - Robert Murrison, Porter
Elizabeth was born in Aberdeen, Scotland on 2 August 1889, a daughter of Robb and Elizabeth Murrison.
William lived at:
1901 Census: William Worsfold, Scholar, was
living in Bridge Street, Leatherhead, with his parents William, a Chimney
Sweeper born in Rusper, Sussex, and Jane, born in Leith [Leigh], Surrey:
his siblings were Frank 8, Howard 7, Nell 3 and Ernest 1*. [Janice Steele]
1911 Census: Bridge Street, Leatherhead
Attestation 23 November 1916: Bridge Street, Leatherhead
* Ernest's son Desmond married Betty Worsfold
who provided the photos for this page.
After the war
His father, William Worsfold snr, died in Leatherhead on 22 March 1915 and
is buried in Leatherhead Parish Churchyard (E520/2 WORSFOLD W. d1915.
His mother, Jane, died on 21 December 1938 at
her son Frank's house in Copthorne Road, Leatherhead.
In December 1919 William jr's widow Elizabeth was named as the recipient
of any his personal items, address Holmwood Park Farm, South Holmwood,
Dorking, Surrey. Another address 1 Bentsbrook Road, North Holmwood,
Dorking, Surrey in a list of close relatives is also on file. His mother
Jane and brothers, Howard and Ernest were listed at Mole House, Bridge
Street, Leatherhead and brother Frank at Mont Brydges, Ontario, Canada.
Elizabeth death was registered in June 1962 (Surrey South eastern District).
William Worsfold is also remembered on
these memorials
Leatherhead Town Memorial
Leatherhead RBL Roll of
Honour, Leatherhead Parish Church
Ladies War Shrine, Leatherhead Parish
Church
Church Lads Brigade Memorial
Tryptich, All Saints Leatherhead
Surrey
in the Great War
Firefighters
Trust
If you can add to this page please contact
the editor
page last updated 10 Mar 2009: links 11 Aug 20: 30 Dec 20