Private, 20/64, 12th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own).
William was born in Bradford, Yorkshire on 28th February 1893 the only son of Tom (a wool comb winder) and Hannah Mary Waddington.
He was educated at Usher Street Council School and later worked as a packing case maker.
The picture shows William and his wife Annie Gertude Simpson who had been married on 25th September 1915. He enlisted in Bradford in October 1915 and went to France early in 1916.
William Waddington died on 14th July 1916, aged 23, during the fighting around Bazentin le Grand.
A comrade wrote that '…he died like a soldier, fighting to the last, on a field that was covered with glory…'
Support Our Charitable Foundation
Your donation helps us deliver projects like For Evermore, which educate and inspire future generations to remember those who gave their lives in the two World Wars. With your support, we can keep their stories alive and ensure they are never forgotten.
As well as making a donation today, you might also consider leaving a gift in your will to the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation. Legacy gifts, large or small, help us preserve this vital heritage for generations to come.
Thank you for helping us honour their memory so we can tell Every Story. For evermore.
