SPRATTON LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

William was born in January 1880 in Spratton, the son of John Buckby, a higgler (hawker/pedlar) from Spratton, and his wife, Margaret who came from a long established family in the village. The family lived in Middle Turn (now Brixworth Road), Spratton. When he left school, William became an agricultural labourer. Both he and his brother Richard served in the First World War.

William volunteered early in the war and was posted to Gallipoli with the 1/4th Northamptonshire Regiment on 29 July 1915 aged 35. He was badly injured in the fighting and given a Silver War Badge to wear at home to show he had been wounded in the war. He was finally discharged from the army on 13 March 1919 and awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.