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L/Cpl. William Riley MM.
British Army 7th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment
from:16 Hampden St, Burnley Wood
(d.21st Dec 1917)
William Riley was my Great Uncle. He and his three brothers and a brother-in-law who served with the British Army in the Great War. I knew little about him beyond basic information until researching my ancestry beginning about 20 years ago. I descend from the oldest brother who immigrated in 1907. So those who knew William that I would have had access to, died many years ago. I recently found a clipping from the Burnley Express about him and that filled in much of the information that I know.
William joined the East Lancashire Regiment in Sept 1914. After training at Tidworth went to France in July 1915. He died on 21st of December 1917. Just days earlier, according to the article, "distinguished himself on the field, for which he has been awarded the Military Medal, but died without knowledge of his achievement. Lance-Corporal Riley was 36 years of age and a widower with two children." In a letter to his sister, my Great Aunt Annorah Abbott, a soldier who knew him said "He was sniped whilst at the head of a sap, and died two minutes after he was hit." He went on to say that William was well-liked and had proved to be a reliable NCO.
Prior to the war Uncle Bill was a coal miner at Towneley Pit along with most of his family. My other uncles included Sapper Thomas Riley, who was also awarded the Military Medal on 1st of July 1916, the same day that brother-in-law Nathan Abbott died at the Somme. Youngest brother Private Patrick Riley was at the time a member of the R.A.M.C. serving at Salonika.
