A DESIRABLE & HIGHLY EMOTIVE
(FIRST DAY of THE SOMME)
“CASUALTY” 1914-15 Trio.
To:
3/12890. WILLIE NAYLOR
2nd Bn (Duke of Wellington’s) West Riding Regiment.
KILLED IN ACTION (Beaumont-Hamel--Serre) 1st JULY 1916.
Age 25.
[BIOGRAPHY]
Willie Naylor was the son of Aquilla Naylor (1864-1921) of Aycliffe Hill, Wibsey, Yorkshire and Annie Elizabeth Naylor, (née Shepherd) and was born in Great Horton, Shipley, Yorks in December 1890. Prior to his initial enlistment in the army as Private 12121 on 31st August 1914 he had worked as a Yarn Bobin Maker (A Borer) for the long established firm of John Dixon Ltd in his home town of Steeton. Dixon’s business started in 1844 and only closed in 1986. The old Dixon works clock is now in Steeton Junior School.
At the declaration of War on 3rd August 1914 it only took Willie 28 days to be released from his civilian employment and to volunteer for Army service on 31st August when he signed on at Keighley.
Sadly, Willie’s first enlistment into the West Riding Regt was only to last for about two months as he was discharged on 2nd November 1914 as being, “Mentally Deficient” & “Not Likely To Become An Efficient Soldier” (His Original August 1914 Attestation Papers & Medical Discharge papers survive & copies are included).
We are not sure what his problem was or what this statement actually means, but Willie, who was only 5ft 4”, clearly persisted and was eventually successful in his aim to join the army as he’s seen back in uniform during 1915 with a very late arrival in France with 2nd Bn on 30th December 1915.
In today’s terms it’s thought that Willie probably had a memory based learning problem and that his issues may have presented as difficulty with physical coordination while marching and perhaps being slow in following orders or learning how to strip, clean & operate his weapon.
We don’t know if he declared his first enlistment upon rejoining the regiment in 1915, as his second attestation papers have not survived, but as he rejoined the same regiment it’s probable that he did “come clean” as to make an incorrect declaration was a very serious offence.
His extremely late 1915 entry into theatre on 30th December is very interesting, as Willie “only just qualified” for a 1915 star (by two days), for had he arrived in France on 1st January 1916 he would only have been entitled to a War Medal & Victory Medal pair.
Interestingly, Willie had three sisters Ethel, Emily & Mary Naylor, who married another Yorkshire soldier:
16953.Pte John Oldfield Greenwood, also West Riding Regiment, who’s WW1 Pair is included here.
(FAMILY CENSUS RECORDS)
1891 Great Horton [Bradford], Yorkshire Census: 70, Southfield Lane - Willie Naylor, aged 5 months, born Shipley, Yorks [Bradford crossed out], son of Acquilla and Annie Elizabeth Naylor.
1901 North Bierley [Bradford], Yorkshire Census: 62, Pothouse Road - Willie Naylor, aged 10 years, born Bradford, son of Aquilla and [stepson of] Martha A. Naylor. [Aquilla had married Martha Ann Widdop in 1899.]
1911 Steeton, Yorkshire Census: 2, Bridge Street - Willie Naylor, aged 21 years, born Great Horton, Yorkshire, son of Aquilla and [stepson of] Martha Naylor.
NAYLOR, William, aged 25, West Riding Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Naylor, Bridge Street, Steeton, Killed in Action in France 1st July 1916.
[2nd WEST RIDING REGIMENT, 1st JULY 1916]
On 1st July 1916, 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, (12th Brigade 4th Division). moved from their assembly trenches east of the sugar beet factory on the Mailly-Maillet-Serre Road.
Then at 08:55am some 85 minutes after the start of the initial 07:30am attack, they moved forward into the Quadrilateral trench system, in support of the attack between Beaumont-Hamel and Serre.
Advancing on the Brigade’s left they fought through into The Quadrilateral.
By nightfall on 1st July they were holding Burrow, Wolf and Legend Trenches. By day’s end they had sustained a total of 323 Casualties.
The body of Willie Naylor was lost without trace on the Somme Battle Field and like so many thousands of his fellow warriors who were lost on the Somme on 1st July 1916 he has no known grave.
Willie is commemorated with eternal honour on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
He may have once have been considered to be Mentally Deficient, but one thing is certain........
Willie Naylor was one of our thousands of unsung WW1 heroes and an immensely brave individual who gallantly gave his young life in defence of this country when he walked into that hail of German machine gun bullets as he met his maker during that terrible first day of battle on 1st July 1916.
This is an Outstanding & Unusually Well Documented 1st Day of The Somme “Yorkshire” Casualty Trio (with his Brother in Law’s Pair.)
All the medals are practically “mint state” and come with original silk & cotton ribbons.
Also included is a picture of Willie in his flat cap along with his copy 1914 attestation papers, & medical discharge papers, census copies, family dependants pension document, & M.I.C. & C.W.G. documents etc.
This is a “Must Have” grouping for the serious collector of Yorkshire Regimental medals.
£1250 ( With part exchanges welcome)
At the declaration of War on 3rd August 1914 it only took Willie 28 days to be released from his civilian employment and to volunteer for Army service on 31st August when he signed on at Keighley.
Sadly, Willie’s first enlistment into the West Riding Regt was only to last for about two months as he was discharged on 2nd November 1914 as being, “Mentally Deficient” & “Not Likely To Become An Efficient Soldier” (His Original August 1914 Attestation Papers & Medical Discharge papers survive & copies are included).
We are not sure what his problem was or what this statement actually means, but Willie, who was only 5ft 4”, clearly persisted and was eventually successful in his aim to join the army as he’s seen back in uniform during 1915 with a very late arrival in France with 2nd Bn on 30th December 1915.
In today’s terms it’s thought that Willie probably had a memory based learning problem and that his issues may have presented as difficulty with physical coordination while marching and perhaps being slow in following orders or learning how to strip, clean & operate his weapon.
We don’t know if he declared his first enlistment upon rejoining the regiment in 1915, as his second attestation papers have not survived, but as he rejoined the same regiment it’s probable that he did “come clean” as to make an incorrect declaration was a very serious offence.
His extremely late 1915 entry into theatre on 30th December is very interesting, as Willie “only just qualified” for a 1915 star (by two days), for had he arrived in France on 1st January 1916 he would only have been entitled to a War Medal & Victory Medal pair.
Interestingly, Willie had three sisters Ethel, Emily & Mary Naylor, who married another Yorkshire soldier:
16953.Pte John Oldfield Greenwood, also West Riding Regiment, who’s WW1 Pair is included here.
(FAMILY CENSUS RECORDS)
1891 Great Horton [Bradford], Yorkshire Census: 70, Southfield Lane - Willie Naylor, aged 5 months, born Shipley, Yorks [Bradford crossed out], son of Acquilla and Annie Elizabeth Naylor.
1901 North Bierley [Bradford], Yorkshire Census: 62, Pothouse Road - Willie Naylor, aged 10 years, born Bradford, son of Aquilla and [stepson of] Martha A. Naylor. [Aquilla had married Martha Ann Widdop in 1899.]
1911 Steeton, Yorkshire Census: 2, Bridge Street - Willie Naylor, aged 21 years, born Great Horton, Yorkshire, son of Aquilla and [stepson of] Martha Naylor.
NAYLOR, William, aged 25, West Riding Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Naylor, Bridge Street, Steeton, Killed in Action in France 1st July 1916.
[2nd WEST RIDING REGIMENT, 1st JULY 1916]
On 1st July 1916, 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, (12th Brigade 4th Division). moved from their assembly trenches east of the sugar beet factory on the Mailly-Maillet-Serre Road.
Then at 08:55am some 85 minutes after the start of the initial 07:30am attack, they moved forward into the Quadrilateral trench system, in support of the attack between Beaumont-Hamel and Serre.
Advancing on the Brigade’s left they fought through into The Quadrilateral.
By nightfall on 1st July they were holding Burrow, Wolf and Legend Trenches. By day’s end they had sustained a total of 323 Casualties.
The body of Willie Naylor was lost without trace on the Somme Battle Field and like so many thousands of his fellow warriors who were lost on the Somme on 1st July 1916 he has no known grave.
Willie is commemorated with eternal honour on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
He may have once have been considered to be Mentally Deficient, but one thing is certain........
Willie Naylor was one of our thousands of unsung WW1 heroes and an immensely brave individual who gallantly gave his young life in defence of this country when he walked into that hail of German machine gun bullets as he met his maker during that terrible first day of battle on 1st July 1916.
This is an Outstanding & Unusually Well Documented 1st Day of The Somme “Yorkshire” Casualty Trio (with his Brother in Law’s Pair.)
All the medals are practically “mint state” and come with original silk & cotton ribbons.
Also included is a picture of Willie in his flat cap along with his copy 1914 attestation papers, & medical discharge papers, census copies, family dependants pension document, & M.I.C. & C.W.G. documents etc.
This is a “Must Have” grouping for the serious collector of Yorkshire Regimental medals.
£1250 ( With part exchanges welcome)