Sergeant, D Company, 15th Platoon, 1/6th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own). Service no. 18/586.

Formerly 18th Battalion (2nd Bradford pals.)

Photo of William Horsman from the Keighley News in 1918.

Early life:

William was born on 26th June 1896, his parents were William Horsman and Mary Horsman née Carr who had been married on 24th December 1892, at St. Peter's Church in Keighley. At the time of their marriage, William was a 27 year old carter living on Woodhouse Road and Mary a 28 year old spinster living on Westgate in Keighley.
William's birth was registered in Keighley in the third quarter of 1896 and he was baptised about a month later on 26th July. His parents were living at Westgate and William senior was a cart driver.
in the 1901 census William was aged four and living with his parents at 33, Colne Street in Keighley. William senior was a teamster for a coal agent and Mary was keeping house. Also living with them was William's older brother Thomas aged seven and his younger sister Gladys, aged two.
By the time of the 1911 census William was aged 14 and employed as a baker. He was still living with his parents but now at 11, Nashville Terrace. His father William was still a teamster and so was William's older brother Thomas aged 17. His sister Gladys was 12 and at school part time and a worsted spinner. His youngest brother Fred was aged 7 and attending school.

War service:

William enlisted early in the war, with the 18th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (2nd Bradford Pals) and after training, entered theatre at Egypt on 22nd December 1915. He was wounded twice during this period but we have just one reference to him being wounded, from the newspaper in 1916:

Keighley News 29th July 1916, page 5:

It has been officially announced that the following Keighley men have been wounded:
West Yorkshire Regiment:- Private W. Horsman (586).

William was promoted to Corporal, then Sergeant during his time with the 18th Battalion.

At some point he was transferred to the 6th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, probably after the 18th Battalion was disbanded and all the men were transferred and he was probably one of a draft of 2 officers, Captain F. W. Whitaker and 2nd Lieutenant R. B. Wright and 90 men who were transferred from BRAY CAMP to the 1/6th Battalion on 4th February 1918, arriving with the 1/6th Battalion at BAVINCHOVE on 6th February, although the draft which arrived was recorded as the same two officers and 45 other ranks. The 18th Battalion ceased to exist on 15th February 1918.
The 6th Battalion moved to the ZONNEBEKE SECTOR in March and then on to the trenches in front of GHELUVELT at the beginning of April.

William was reported missing after a battle at KEMMEL on 25th April 1918.

War diary entry for April 1918:

Map reference is here: on the National Library of Scotland website
TRENCHES N12 & 18 astride WYTSHAETE Road. Rear Echelon OUDERDOM.
24th:
The Battalion moved into the line from O.13.b to O.8.d. relieving the 15th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (64th Brigade attached 9th Division.) The order of battle was D Coy right, B centre, A left with C Coy in support & Batt HQ at.
25th:
At 2.30 am, the enemy opened a heaving bombardment of gas & HE (High explosive) on forward and back areas, this continued for about 2 hours, after a comparatively quiet lull of a quarter of an hour the bombardment with HE was resumed with the greatest violence, & a strong hostile attack from KEMMEL to HOLLEBEKE WOOD was rumoured, although no definite information was available at rear echelon.
From information received later, it appeared that the enemy had attacked in force - his chief objective being KEMMEL HILL. The 146th Brigade had however been attacked by masses & although a stubborn resistance was offered by small parties of men & numerous casualties inflicted on the Hun, yet the preliminary bombardment had so depleted our line, that the survivors had to withdraw to get units into touch with the right flank for large parties of Bosche had evidently broken through on this flank of the attack & were enveloping units which normally would have been able to hold off the enemy.
The fighting continued all day, but our men - now mixed up with other units which had been in support and reserve positions were slowly pressed back to positions about 1 kilo SE of LA CLYTTE. During the evening 2 or 3 stragglers reported but they were able to give very little information as owing to the violence of the bombardment - the mist, the smoke screen used by the enemy, very little could be seen during the first stages of the attack.
26th:
During the day Lt. McLusky & 2nd Lt. Hesketh reported and a total of 44 other ranks. They had been in the fighting from the morning of the 25th instance, but could not say much regarding the reminder of the battalion. The Commanding Officer Lt. Colonel W. A. WISTANCE had been seen at about 6.30 am - half an hour after the infantry attack began - organising the HQ personnel for defence, but nothing could be learnt about front line companies.
27th:
The rear echelen now reinforced by stragglers & the remainder of the battalion consisted of 17 officers and 210 other ranks, from these, 3 officers & 110 other ranks were drawn to make a company of a composite battalion formed from the 146th Brigade under the command of Major R. CLOUGH MC with Captain N. GRICE as second in command & Lt. S. C. TODD as company commander. The other officers were Lt. N. A. RYMER, 2 Lt. G. N. BISATT, W. GREENWOOD & A. V. St. CLAIRE LAING. The battalion at the tactical disposal of 147th Inf. Brigade.
28th. HOOGRAAP:
The battalion moved to HOOGRAAP, the composite unit remaining at OUDERDOM.

William's mother wrote to the Red Cross on 21st June 1918, to enquire if William had been captured as a prisoner of war. A Red Cross record card has recorded her attempt to find out what had happened to her son, but since he had not been taken prisoner, they had no information.

Keighley News 10th August 1918 page 3:

Sergeant William Horsman, (22) West Yorkshire Regiment, of 111, Nashville Terrace, Fell Lane, has been missing since April 25. He has been in the Army three years and has been twice wounded. In civil life he was employed as an apprentice at the Co-operative bakery.

Remembrance:

Named on the Tyne Cot Memorial in France.
Locally, he is named in the Borough of Keighley roll of Honour book at Keighley Library.
Named on the Albert Street Baptist Church war memorial held in storage by Cliffe Castle Musuem, Keighley.
He may also be the W. Horsman named on the Cross Roads war memorial in the war memorial building in the park.
Post war:
His mother Mary was his next of kin and sole legatee in his will. She received a payment of £21 14s 8d on 29th October 1919 which included a war gratuity amount of £21. She may also have received a pension of 5 shillings per week.

Mary would also have received any of William's personal effects, plus his Great war memorial plaque and scroll and also his medals, which were the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

In the 1921 census Mary was 57 and living as head of the household at 111, Nashville Terrace. Also with her were Gladys, a burler and mender aged 22 and Fred, a painter and decorator aged 17, plus her brother Thomas Carr, a loom fitter aged 53 and his son William Carr, a fitter aged 22.

Mary died in 1930 aged 66. Her death was registered at Keighley in the third quarter of the year.

Information sources:

West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910
1901 England Census
1911 England Census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915
Keighley's Gallant Sons
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library
National Library of Scotland (linked above): Map Sheet: 28.SW. Scale: 1:20000 Edition: 7A Trenches corrected to 11 May 1918.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War
International Committee for the Red Cross archives
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923