Private William Henry MIDDLETON (WYKES)
4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment 4415
3rd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment 33268
Labour Corps (Agricultural Company) IC552332
William was born in February 1884 to Harriet Middleton, a single mother living in the Towcester Union (workhouse). Harriet married John Wykes, an agricultural labourer from Spratton, the following year and they went on to have six more children. The family lived in Manor Road, Spratton, and The Banks, Ravensthorpe. William took his step-father’s name and was known as William Wykes in the village, but his military records are under his birth name Middleton. When he left school he became a domestic under-gardener, possibly in one of the big houses in Spratton, but later he worked as an ironstone labourer. Three of the family served in the First World War and fought in France: William, Walter and John Francis.
William enlisted on 14 June 1915 with the Northamptonshire Regiment, but was transferred to the Leicestershire Regiment in October 1916 and posted to France in December 1916. He arrived back home on a “sick convoy” in December 1917, and as he was not fit for front-line duties he was transferred to the Labour Corps (Agricultural Company) and worked as an agricultural labourer in this country. He was finally demobilised on 28 February 1919 and granted a pension of 11/- with a listed disability “Rheumation, attributable to his army service”. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
He married Edith Lane in Brixworth Registry Office on 17 August 1918. The couple already had a child, Ernest George Lane, born on 9 December 1917. The family lived in Bakers Lane, Spratton.
Leicestershire Regiment badge
Leicestershire Regiment badge
EXPLORE SECTIONS
MEN WHO SERVED
- Private Charles Herbert AUSTIN (known as Herbert)
- Corporal Frank AUSTIN
- Lance Corporal James William AUSTIN
- Private John Samuel AUSTIN
- Sergeant William Henry AUSTIN
- Sergeant Bertie Henry BALDERSON
- Corporal Frederick Charles BALDERSON MM
- Lance Corporal Robert Samuel BALDERSON
- Private George William BUCKBY (known as William)
- Private Henry Andrew BUCKBY
- Richard Henry Horne BUCKBY
- Transport Sergeant Thomas BUCKBY MM
- Company Quartermaster Sergeant William Gander BUCKBY
- William Archibald COPSON (known as Archibald)
- Sapper Ebenezer COPSON
- Private Ernest Edward COPSON
- Pioneer Henry Owman COPSON (known as Harry)
- Private James COPSON
- Private John William COPSON
- Private Joseph COPSON
- Private Arthur Sidney GOODEN (known as Sidney)
- Private Hugh Henry GOODEN
- Sergeant Joseph Eric GOODEN (known as Eric)
- Private Arthur Thomas HAYTER
- Driver Frank Leonard HAYTER
- Private Harold Herbert HAYTER
- Lance Corporal John Charles HAYTER DCM (known as Jack)
- Private Walter Ernest HAYTER
- Ordinary Seaman Arthur Charles HORNE
- Private John William HORNE (known as William)
- Lance Corporal Lewis HORNE
- Private Thomas HORNE
- Driver John Henry LEESON
- Corporal Joseph Henry LEESON (known as Harry)
- Thomas Baden Powell LEESON (known as ‘Bard’)
- Private Albert MANNING
- Corporal Amos MANNING
- Private Arthur Cecil MANNING
- Private George MANNING
- Sergeant George William MANNING
- Sapper Henry Stanley MANNING (known as Stanley)
- Private John Thomas MANNING
- Private John William MANNING
- Air Mechanic Nathaniel MANNING
- Driver/Saddler Samuel MANNING
- Gunner George Albert MARTIN
- Private Joseph MARTIN
- Private Thomas Henry MARTIN (known as Harry)
- Private Thomas Walter MARTIN (known as Walter)
- Pioneer Walter Ernest MARTIN
- Sergeant William Higgs MARTIN, DCM
- Private Arthur Walter PAGE
- Private Francis Samuel PAGE (known as Sam)
- Private Frank PAGE
- Private Stephen PAGE
- Lieutenant George REEVE MC MM
- Private Richard Henry REEVE (known as Harry)
- Private Samuel REEVE
- Private Sidney Philip REEVE
- Private Frederick Thomas RICHARDSON
- Private John William RICHARDSON
- Private Percy John Partridge RICHARDSON
- Private Abraham Bert SMITH
- Private Alfred SMITH
- Private Frank SMITH 46648
- Private John Samuel SMITH
- Private John William SMITH (6942)
- Private John William (William John) SMITH (8964)
- Private Charles Walter WADHAMS
- Private John Edward WADHAMS
- Private Thomas Edwin WADHAMS
- Private William WADHAMS