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Pte. William Gawthorpe
British Army 34th Btn. Machine Gun Corps
from:Ossett, West Yorkshire
(d.21st Mar 1918)
William Gawthorpe worked at Messrs. Archer, Ritchie and Co.'s Millfield Mill at Horbury Junction, and lived with his parents Paul and Ada at 2 New Street, Ossett. He enlisted in 1915, served with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry as Private 25613, then transferred to the 103rd Company (later part of 34th Battalion) of the Machine Gun Corps attached to 34th Division. His service record has not survived. His older brother George was reported missing at Poelcapelle during Passchendaele on 9th Oct 1917, and his brother Guy served and survived the war.
William was aged 23 when he was reported missing on 21st March 1918. The machine gunners were posted in strongpoints or "keeps" around the trenches, supporting 103rd Brigade (Tyneside Irish), beside the River Sensee at Croisilles. The great German spring offensive on that day used new so-called "stormtrooper" tactics. This broke through British lines and pushed back the British Army for many miles, resulting in large numbers of casualties and prisoners. He is commemorated on Bay 10 of the Arras Memorial, Calais.
