William Reilly (Riley)

William and the Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 09/07/1915 and were part of the 45th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division. William was shot in the heart by a German sniper whilst digging a trench during the Battle of Pozieres, 23rd July - 3rd September 1916 : Pozieres was a small, straggling village on the main Albert-Bapaume road. It is situated on high ground that gives the occupier observation southwards along the road towards Ovillers, La Boisselle, Albert and beyond; to the east across to High Wood, Delville Wood and beyond; and westwards to Thiepval. Possession of Pozieres was key to making possible any further advances towards Bapaume, the capture of the Thiepval ridge and the breaking of resistance at High and Delville Woods. The battle for Pozieres and nearby Mouquet Farm became an epic in its own right, with tenacious German defence keeping determined British-Australian attack at bay for several weeks. This was the first large-scale Australian battle in France and proved to be its costliest in terms of total casualties. William's death was described as "instantaneous and painless" by a Clergyman who also stated that William was a sincere Catholic who took Communion a day or 2 before going into the trenches. William enlisted on the 09/09/1914 and was at home until the 08/07/1915. He fought with the Battalion until the 13/11/1915 where William and the Battalion fought at the Battle of Loos. He was then at home from the 14/11/1915 until the 27/03/1916. He was back in France from the 28/03/1916 until his death. The Battle of Pozieres was part of the Battles of the Somme, 1st July - 18th November 1916 : A Franco-British offensive that was undertaken after Allied strategic conferences in late 1915, but which changed its nature due to the German attack against the French in the epic Battle of Verdun, which lasted from late February to November. Huge British losses on the first day and a series of fiercely contested steps that became attritional in nature. For all armies on the Western Front it was becoming what the Germans would call "materialschlacht" : a war not of morale, will or even manpower, but of sheer industrial material might. The 15th September 1916 saw the first-ever use of tanks in the step known as the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The British army in France is now approaching its maximum strength in numbers but is still developing in terms of tactics, technology, command and control. See Directory for William's sister Jane's brother-in-law Thomas McGoldrick's page. See Newspaper clippings for letter sent to William's sister by Captain Wilson. William is listed as RILEY with the CWGC and on the THIEPVAL MEMORIAL along with most of his Army records. William is also remembered on the St. Augustine's Church and St. Patrick's (book) Rolls of Honour (see photos). See photos for William's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his name on the Thiepval Memorial x 2, William's Pension Records x 2, his Service Records x 24 and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Cap Badge. Finally see photos for 4 pages from the 15th (Scottish) Division book concerning William and his comrades leading up to the time he fell.