William Henry Richardson

Private 1781. 1/7th Battalion. Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment.

Born: 1895 in Golcar.

Son of Arthur and Alice Richardson.

Brother of Amy and Elsie.

Address: 102 Handel Street, Golcar, formerly of Lower Gate, Longwood.

Occupation: Cloth Presser at Armitage Bros. Milnsbridge.

Enlisted at the outbreak of war.

Died: Saturday 29th October 1915. Aged 20.

Buried at Talana Farm Cemetery. Plot 3. D. 5. West Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Sergeant Bennett wrote to say that a piece of shrapnel hit William on the back of his head, rendering him unconscious. He died a few minutes later. He was buried along with some of his fallen comrades. Lieutenant J. L. Tetlow wrote "I should like to add my sympathy to that of the men. However hard pressed he never grumbled. I never knew a better or more willing worker."

His name appears on the Roll of Honour in St. John's Church, Golcar and Huddersfield Drill Hall.

The cemetery was by a group of farm houses named by the army from episodes in the South Africa War. Plot 3 in the cemetery contains many of the 49th (West Riding) division graves and was begun by the French in 1915.

The commune of Boesinghe (now Bozinge) lies both sides of the Yser Canal. The village itself was directly faced by the German front lines on the east side. Talana is on the west side of the canal and was, during the greater part of the war, the Farm was just a kilometre from the edge of the Salient Dragoon Camp.