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8th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
8th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was raised at Pontefract in September 1914 as part of Kitchener's Third New Army and joined 70th Brigade, 23rd Division. They undertook training in England at Pontefract, Frensham, Aldershot, Hythe and Bordon, before proceeding to France. They landed at Boulogne in August 1915. They transferred to with 70th Brigade to 8th Division on the 18th of October 1915, in an exchange with 24th Brigade allowing the inexperienced troops to learn from those who had battle experience, returning to their orginal divisions in June 1916. The 23rd Division were at Bomy beginning a period of intensive training for the Battles of the Somme. They were in action in The Battle of Albert including the capture of Contalmaison, The Battles of Bazentin Ridge, Pozieres, Flers-Courcelette, Morval and The Battle of Le Transloy including the capture of Le Sars. In 1917 they fought in The Battle of Messines, The Battles of the Menin Road, Polygon Wood and the The First and Second Battles of Passchendaele. In November 1917 the Division moved to Italy concentrating between Mantua and Marcaria before taking over the front line at the Montello on the 4th of December. In 1918 they were in action during the fighting on the Asiago Plateau and the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, including the passage of the Piave and the Monticano. At the Italian Armistice at 3pm on the 4th of November, the 23rd were midway between the Rivers Livenza and Meduna, east of Sacile. They moved to billets west of Treviso and demobilisation took place in January and February 1919.
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
9th February 1916 Call Ups
4th Apr 1916 70th Infrantry Brigade prepare for battle On the 4th April 1916, in preparation for the coming battle, the 8th Division moved up to the Le Boisselle-Thiepval sector, the 8th Battalion York & Lancaster occupying trenches to the left of the sector in front of Authuile Wood, periodically withdrawing to reserve at Albert. The ground occupied by the 8th Division was the most difficult of the whole front, no-man’s land being exceptionally wide and the attack of the 70th Brigade would have to be made beneath the southern spur of the Thiepval salient which was commanded in enfilade by the Germans.
8th May 1916 Reliefs 
30th Jun 1916 Move up
18th Sep 1917 9th York & Lancs relieved
29th Sep 1917 9th York & Lancs relieve 8th KOYLI
12th Dec 1917 Relief Completed
13th Jan 1918 Relief
20th Jan 1918 Reliefs Completed
6th Apr 1918 Reliefs
11th Jun 1918 Reliefs
4th Jul 1918 Reliefs Completed
21st Aug 1918 Artillery Active
24th Aug 1918 Reliefs
15th Sep 1918 Reliefs
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with8th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry during the Great War 1914-1918. - Annable Ernest. L/Cpl. (d.21st Jan 1916)
- Atkinson Harry . Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
- Austin James William. Pte. (d.8th October 1916)
- Bentley F.. L/Cpl. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- Carter Herbert. Pte (d.8th Jun 1917)
- Cast Albert. Pte. (d.8th June 1917)
- Cooling Ernest. Cpl. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- Fletcher Harry. Pte. (d.27th August 1917)
- Gilchrist MM. John. Pte.
- Goodacre George. Pte. (d.12th September 1915)
- Green Fred. Pte, (d.9th Jun 1917)
- Haigh Sidney. Pte. (d.8th Jun 1917)
- Hall Henry. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Johnston William. Pte. (d.1st October 1916)
- Ketley George Albert. Pte. (d.3rd Oct 1916)
- Langford William Henry. Pte. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- Morley Marmaduke. Lt. (d.1st July 1916)
- Newberry Joseph. L/Cpl. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- Nuttall Wilson. L/Cpl. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- Ormrod Harry. Lt. (d.1st July 1916)
- Oxby Joseph Henry. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Oxby Joseph Henry. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Painting Arthur James. L/Cpl. (d.5th Dec 1916)
- Speight Walter. Pte. (d.10th June 1917)
- Speight Walter. Pte. (d.10th June 1917)
- Thompson John. Pte. (d.26th April 1916)
- Walton Ernest. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
- Walton Ernest. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
- Whitehouse Dennis. L/Cpl (d.24th Jul 1916)
- Whitehouse Dennis. L/Cpl. (d.24th July 1916)
- Whitehouse Joseph. Pte
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 8th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry from other sources.
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Pte, Fred Green 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.9th Jun 1917) Fred Green was my great uncle and died on the 9th of June 1917 and is buried in Lijssenhoek Military Cemetery.
His older brother William died near Ypres on 23rd of October 23 as a Lance Corporal member of the Military Police Corps. He is buried in the Minty Farm Cemetery. Both men were married.
Modern family history believes a third brother was also killed on the Somme, but I am unable to establish this as a fact. There were 8 brothers in total and the only one I can prove survived the war was my Grandfather Sydney Green, but I am unable to establish whether he served in the military, but as he was born in 1891 I believe he must have.
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L/Cpl. Dennis Whitehouse 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.24th July 1916) Dennis Whitehouse, had moved from his home in Cwmbran, South Wales with his brother, my grandfather, Joseph, to find work in the West Yorkshire coal fields.
He and Dennis joined the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and were placed in 8th Battalion. Dennis was seriously wounded near Albert in July 1916 and was evacuated back to England but died of his injuries in Bristol Hospital.
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L/Cpl Dennis Whitehouse 8th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.24th Jul 1916) Died of wounds Bristol General Hospital
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Pte Joseph Whitehouse 8th Btn King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Joseph who survived a mustard gas attack, recovered in Kent before returning to the front line.
He was taken prisoner of war about 6 months before the end and was later liberated.
On his return to his family he went back to work in the coal mine until he was 75. My father tells me that he never once spoke to his family about the war and his experiences.
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Pte. Albert Cast 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.8th June 1917) From the memories of Harry Cast about his twin brother Albert Cast.
While on the Hindenburg Line I had a letter from my father informing me that they had received news from the War Office that my twin brother Albert was reported missing. I only remember one phrase of that letter, the only one I had from him, this was the old Victorian phrase: Keep a stiff upper lip my lad.
It was sometime in July that I received a letter from Mother telling me that they had received notice from the War Office that brother Albert had been killed in the German counter-attack on 8th of June 1917. This news really rocked and shocked me.
Albert was only 19 when he was killed. There was no body, his name is on the Menin Gate at Ypres.
Harry survived the war, having been badly injured twice, and in later life wrote down his memories and these were edited and published in 2015.
The Cast family of 5 brothers all served in the Great War, as did their father.
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Pte. Walter Speight 8th Battalion, 13 Company, 6 Platoon Kings Own YorkshireLight Infantry (d.10th June 1917) Walter Speight enlisted on the 1st of February 1912 and joined the 5th Battalion. K.O.Y.L.I.
Extracts from his Soldiers own diary:
2nd time out 1917 Battle of Messines.
27 April 1917: Left Folkstone, England for Boulogne, France
28 April: Left Boulogne, France for Etaples (15 Miles March)
29 April - 12 May Training in Etaples
13 May: Landed near the Front line at Abeele rest camp
16 May: posted to KOYLI B Company 6 Platoon 3 Section (all decent boys!)
17 May: Training for Attack near Watou
20 May: Sent to rest Billets too ill with Flu Temprature 100.2
24 May: Left rest Billets for railway dugouts behind the front line
25 May: Night Working party St Peter’s Street
26 May: Trenches first left of Hill 60 very hot quarters. Man Named “Smith†who came out with me was killed
27 May: Bombardment
28 May: Bombardment continued 7 Casualties
29-30 May: Straffing pretty freely both sides
31 May: Going to M camp near Poperinge (NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN)
1 June: 3am Exciting night dodging shells under gas clouds (good days rest)
2 June: spent most of the day writing letters
3 June: Day in Poperinge buying presents for family
4 June: Went to Assembly trench waiting for time to mount
5 June: Assembly trench off St Peter’s Street (nothing Doing to pass time)
There are no More details in the Diary. Walter
died of Wounds on the 10th of June.
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Pte. Walter Speight 8th Battalion, 13 Company, 6 Platoon Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.10th June 1917)  Walter Speight recorded:- 27 April 1917: Left Folkstone, England for Boulogne, France
- 29 April - 12 May Training in Etaples
- 13 May: Landed near the Front line at Abeele rest camp
- 16 May: posted to KOYLI B Company 6 Platoon 3 Section (all decent boys!)
- 17 May: Training for Attack near Watou
- 20 May: Sent to rest Billets too ill with Flu Temprature 100.2
- 24 May: Left rest Billets for railway dugouts behind the front line
- 25 May: Night Working party St Peter's Street
- 26 May: Trenches first left of Hill 60 very hot quarters. Man Named "Smith" who came out with Walter Speight was killed
- 27 May: Bombardment
- 28 May: Bombardment continued 7 Casualties
- 29-30 May: Straffing pretty freely both sides
- 31 May: Going to M camp near Poperinge (NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN)
- 1 June: 3am Exciting night dodging shells under gas clouds (good days rest)
- 2 June: spent most of the day writing letters
- 3 June: Day in Poperinge buying presents for family
- 4 June: Went to Assembly trench waiting for time to mount
- 5 June: Assembly trench off St Peter's Street, nothing Doing to pass.
On the 10th of June Walter died of wounds.
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L/Cpl. Arthur James Painting 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.5th Dec 1916) How Arthur Painting ended up in the KOYLI is a mystery. He enlisted in Birmingham his home town. It is possible he was recruited during the divisions move from Pontefract to Bordon during 1915. It is believed he landed in Boulogne in around Aug 1915 and found himself in the 8th Battalion in the November of that year.
The only information we have to go on is his medal card and the regimental war diary which lists him as died of wounds on 5th of December 1916 (after the end of the Somme). We do not know when or how he was wounded. He is buried at Hop Store Cemetery. No known photograph of Arthur has yet been found. His medals and death plaque have survived and are owned by the family.
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Pte. James William Austin 8th (Service) Btn. Kins Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.8th October 1916) Our great grandfather, Private James William Austin of Goole, died of wounds on 8th October 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He rests in peace at Dernancourt Cemetery, near Albert, France.
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Pte. Ernest Walton 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.1st July 1916) My Great Great Uncle, Ernest Walton, was killed in action on the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme.
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Lt. Harry Ormrod 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.1st July 1916) Lt Harry Ormrod died on the 1st of July 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. He was 21 years old, and held a B.A. from Manchester University.
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L/Cpl. Ernest Annable 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.21st Jan 1916) I discovered quite recently from my mother, who is 98 years old, that when I was born, my grand father was asked to name me as he was feeling 'a bit down'. He suggested calling me Ernest as, in his words, "He was one of the best". I later discovered that Ernest was in fact his younger brother who was killed in the early stages of WW1, in the town of Merville which is where he is buried.
I have not been able to discover the circumstances of his death which I feel must have been unlucky as he was billeted in Merville which was a clearing station and not directly on the front line.
Unfortunately a lot of the KOYLI records were lost during WW2.I would love to know more about my great uncle Ernest Annable as I have carried his name for the past 60 odd years.
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Pte. Ernest Walton 8th Btn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.1st July 1916) Ernest Walton was 22 years old, he is buried in Blighty Alley Cemetery
and was the son of Henry and Mary Ann Walton, of Whitley Bridge, Goole, Yorks.
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L/Cpl. Wilson Nuttall 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.1st Jul 1916) Wilson Nuttall served with the 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. At the time of his death, his Battalion were engaged in the Battle of the Somme. He has no known grave but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
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Pte. George Goodacre 8th Battalion Kings Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) (d.12th September 1915) Star, BWM, Victory medals
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Pte. George Albert Ketley 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.3rd Oct 1916) My Great Grandfather Private George Albert Ketley died of wounds on the 3rd October 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He is buried at Dernancourt Cemetery, near Albert, France.
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Pte. John Gilchrist MM. 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry My Grandfather Pte. John Gilchrist served with the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 8th Battalion and was awarded the MM for "Conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as runner at Bde HQ during the offensive from 7th to 10th June 1917 near Ypres. He carried messages through heavy fire continuously for three days. He showed an utter disregard of danger, and set a high example to other runners." This extract is from the original commendation for MM signed by the Lt Col AA &QMG., 23rd Division which I still have.
He was casevaced home after he and the C.O. were injured. He lived until the 1950s but was not in great health. He first heard of his commendation for the MM when he was in hospital.
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Pte Herbert Carter 8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Ã?� (d.8th Jun 1917) Herbet was the son of Arthur Carter,18 Dean Rd, Oakham. He died on Messines Ridge, has no known grave but is commemorated on panel 47 of the Menin Gate Memorial.
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L/Cpl. F. Bentley 8th Btn, B Coy. K.O.Y.L.I. (d.1st Jul 1916)  Cpl.F. Bentley was that a relative of my Great Grandfather, Harry Bentley, known to have changed his name to Harry Musson. The address shown on the death letter received, now in my possession, matches up to that of my Great Grandfather. F. Bentley, of whom I do not know the first name, was the son of Harry.
I have a letter from the Enquiry department of wounded and missing, explaining the death of Bentley. He died on the first of July on the Somme front.
Listed in the letter are two names that give evidence, or some sort of information about the death, who i am assuming survived the war. For the help of others, the details of these people are;
Cpl. T. Sparling, 13959, 8th K.O.Y.L.I.
Home Address: 58 Martin Street, Upper Thorp, Sheffield.
The letter says: " as long as last October , that L/cpl. Bentley had been seen killed, shot in the head"
Another person quoted in the letter is;
Pte. F. Russling, B Company, 5th platoon.
No address is given for this particular person.
The letter says: "last October that L/Cpl. Bentley was shot through the head while in a shell hole near Ovillers on the left of La Boisselle"
This person professed to being an eye witness.
The Letter is hand signed by a (this may be incorrect due to it being a signature) G G Buckler.
The letter is not handwritten, but rather by a typewriter.
The recipients address is: 27 Doncaster Road, Ardsley, near Barnsley.
In my possession, I also have 3 campaign medals, these are;
The letter, along with the medals, were kept in a small wooden cigar box, of which my mother said were kept by my Great Gran-dads bed, as throughout her childhood.
I do not have any more information at this time. If any of the information provided does ring a bell, please feel happy to email me.
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Lt. Marmaduke Morley 8th (Service) battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.1st July 1916) Marmaduke Morley was the son of A. Noel and Jessie M. I. Morley, of Lychwood, Worplesdon Hill, Woking, Surrey. He served as a Lieutenant with the 8th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, which was
formed at Pontefract in September 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 70th Brigade in 23rd Division. They moved to Frensham and then to Aldershot in December 1914 and on to Hythe in February 1915 and Bordon in May. In August 1915 they landed at Boulogne. Marmaduke was killed on the 1st of July in the Battle of the Somme and is buried in Blighty Valley Cemetery, he was 22 years old.
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BENEATH HILL 60 tells the extraordinary true story of Oliver Woodward, the legendary Australian metal scientist. In 1916, Woodward faced the most difficult decision, ultimately having to separate from his new young love for the deadly carnage of the Western Front. On treacherous territory, behind the German enemy lines, Woodward and his secret platoon of Australian tunnelers face a suicidal battle to defend a leaking, tunnel system. A tunnel packed with enough high explosives to change the course of the War.
Hill 60: Ypres (Battleground Europe) Nigel Cave
The shell-ravaged landscape of Hill 60, some three miles south east of Ypres, conceals a labyrinth of tu nnels and underground workings. This book offers a guide to the memorials, cemeteries and museums at the site '
Beneath Hill 60 [Paperback] Will Davies
'Ten seconds, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one - fire! Down goes the firing switch. At first, nothing. Then from deep down there comes a low rumble, and it as if the world is spliting apart...' On 7th June 1917, nineteen massive mines exploded beneath Messines Ridge near Ypres. The largest man-made explosion in history up until that point shattered the landscape and smashed open the German lines. Ten thousand German soldiers died. Two of the mines - at Hill 60 and the Caterpillar - were fired by men of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company, comprising miners and engineers rather than parade-ground soldiers. Drawing on the diaries of one of the key combatants, "Benealth Hill 60" tells the little-known, devastatingly brutal true story of this subterranean war waged beneath the Western Front - a stygian battle-ground where men drowned in viscous chalk, suffocated in the blue gray clay, choked on poisonous air or died in the darkness, caught up up in vicious hand-to-han
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