250349 Pte. William Breckon British Army West Yorkshire Regiment from:Wold House Farm, Farndale (d.29th September 1918 ) William Breckon was the natural son of Alice Breckon of Duck House Farm. Alice suffered from mental health problems and was eventually committed to the North Riding Asylum at Clifton, York.
William was raised by his maternal aunt, Lydia Mary Duck nee Breckon, on Wold House Farm, Farndale. She was his legal guardian. He became a carpenter and wheelwright and volunteered on the 21st of August 1917. He was just 18. He was posted on the 8th of May to the Yorks Regiment, Army no 60208, and then transferred (comp.) to the Duke of Wellington's Own, 2/4th West Yorkshire Reg, Army no 35871 on 16th of September. He was posted missing and the killed in action or died of wounds shortly thereafter on 29th September 1918, just two months from the end of the war and only 19 years old.
William was killed on the 29th of September 1918 when 62nd (West Riding) Division were involved in heavy fighting to recapture the French village of Marcoing, which had been occupied by the Germans since March 1918.
At 5.20 am on the 27th September 1918, the 1st and 3rd Armies attacked with IV, VI, XVII and Canadian Corps on a 21 km front from Gouzeaucourt to Sauchy-Lestrée. The vital point of the attack was the Canal du Nord near Moeuvres. On the VI Corps front the Guards Division and 3rd Division crossed the canal in the face of strong machine gun fire. 62nd Division started their move forward at 8 am, following close behind the reserve brigade of 3rd Division. There was heavy fighting all day and by 8.30 pm 3rd Division had withdrawn and 62nd Division held a line just east of Ribacourt.
In the early hours of the 28th September 1918, attacks were resumed towards Marcoing and Masnieres. Fierce fighting continued all the day, and by 6 pm, Marcoing had been taken, together with the trenches on the east side of the St Quentin Canal.
On the 29th of September 1918, the attack was renewed with Masnires and Rumilly as the objectives. By noon, Masniares had been recaptured by the 62nd (West Riding) Division and cleared, but because of fierce opposition Rumilly was not taken that day.
William Breckon was buried at The British Cemetary Masnieres, Nord France one of 170 soldiers.
As s a postscript to this biography of William Breckon, it is perhaps worth mentioning the famous or infamous Incident at Marcoing, which took place the day before and at the same place that William Breckon died.
It was September 28, 1918 and the fighting had been exceptionally heavy that day. Private Henry Tandey of the 5th Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment), had been killing Germans throughout the day, but when a wounded enemy soldier limped into his gun sights, Tandey held his fire. The German was clearly wounded, and though Tandey took aim, he could not bring himself to shoot the wounded man. The wounded soldier nodded in gratitude and disappeared into the fog. The incident at the French village of Marcoing was over quickly, but one that the German soldier would never forget and that Henry Tandey wouldn't recall for some 20 years. During the fighting on that day the English private would single-handedly destroy a German machine gun nest, lead a bayonet charge on a far larger German force and, for his bravery, win the Victoria Cross. Private Henry Tandey was by anyone's account a true hero. That German soldier was Adolf Hitler! Additional Information: | William Breckon was the nephew of my husband’s grandfather, Amos Breckon, brother of William’s mother Alice Breckon. We visited his grave at Masnieres’ cemetery in 2018 and took some photos. It is a beautiful cemetery in the middle of the rolling countryside of northern France.
We also agree with all the comments made about William Breckon and are so pleased to have found this site.
Christine Breckon
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