Private William Henry SPEECHLEY
1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment 8383
William was born in Spratton on 11 January 1893, the son of William Henry Speechley, a leather worker and his wife, Emily Allen. William Jnr attended Spratton village school until he was seven, when the family moved to Northampton. He married Alice Maud Gregg on 7 September 1909 and their daughter Alice was born in 1912. Sadly she died when she was only two years old. A second daughter, Emily, was born in December 1914.
Although William was working as a hawker, he joined the 3rd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Special Reserve on 25 May 1908 and underwent regular training from that date. At the time he claimed to be 17 years 11 months, but was in fact 15 years 6 months. In 1913 he re-engaged for a further term and was mobilised as soon as war was declared in August 1914 and moved to the 1st Battalion. He received a minor wound on his wrist and arm on 23 October 1914 and in January 1915 absconded twice whilst back in England. He was disciplined in April 1915 for having a dirty rifle, but was killed the following month at the Battle of Auber’s Ridge on 9 May when so many of the Northamptonshire Regiment lost their lives. He was 23.
William’s wife received a pension of 15/- a week for herself and her daughter and re-married in 1922 to become Alice Maud Curtis.
William was awarded the 1914 Star and Clasp, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial, Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
MORE INFORMATION
Le Touret Cemetery and Memorial, France
Le Touret Cemetery and Memorial, France
Northamptonshire Regiment badge
Northamptonshire 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