William Clayton Massey
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William Clayton Massey was born in 1898 he was the son of William and Elizabeth Ann Massey née Eggleshaw and the brother of Albert, John and Ian Massey of Waverley House Kirkby in Ashfield. William snr was the Sanitary Inspector for Ashfield Urban District Council.William was born in 1873 at Kirkby, Elizabeth Ann Eggleshaw was born in 1871 at Selston, they were married in 1896 their marriage was recorded in the Basford registration district, they had 4 children.In 1911 the family are living at Waverley House, Kirkby in Ashfield, he is 38 yrs and a sanitary engineer, he is living with his wife Elizabeth 40 yrs and 3 of their children, William 13 yrs, Albert 12 yrs and John 10 yrs of age.
Served with South Notts Hussars, Sherwood Foresters, and Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders before being commissioned into the Lincolnshire Regiment on 30/07/1918. Attested December 1915. He had been gassed and twice wounded including being buried during one bombardment. Promoted to corporal in the field. In Dec 1917 he started his officer training at New College, Oxford and from July 1918 he was a 2nd Lieu with the 4th bn Lincolnshire Regiment.
His parents received confirmation of his death on 11/11/1918. William was killed by machine-gunfire whilst covering the withdrawal of his men.His 2 brothers, Albert a captain with the 14th Hussars and John Harold with the Royal Air Force. Notts Free Press 22/11/1918 inc 2 letters from his commanding officers.Article published 15th November 1918 in the Mansfield Reporter and Sutton Times :- “KIRKBY LIEUTENANT KILLED. “We very much regret to announce the death — killed in action — of 2nd-Lieut. W. C. Massey. Waverley House, Kirkby-in- Ashfield, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Massey. 2nd-Lieut. Massey's parents are very well known over a wide area, his father being a sanitary inspector and road inspector for the district. 2nd-Lieut. Massey, who was 21 years of age, attested under the Derby Scheme in December, 1915, and joined The South Notts. Hussars in April, 1916. He was stationed in Ireland at Christmas, 1916, and whilst there volunteered for service in France. He was accordingly transferred to the 1-6th Sherwood Foresters, and spent 12 mouths in France with that regiment. He was gassed and twice wounded, and was also buried during a bombardment. He was promoted corporal on the field. He was recommended for commissioned rank, and came over to England at Christmas, 1917, receiving his training at New College, Oxford. In July, 1918, he was gazetted to the 4th Lincolns, and after a period on the Lincolnshire Coast, was dratted to France on September 27th. He was killed on November 5th, and by a tragic irony, his parents received the intimation of his death on the morning of November 11th, the day the Armistice was signed. Mr. and Mrs. Massey have two other sons of military age, one of whom is Captain Massey, of the 14th Hussars, in Mesopotamia, but who is by now, according to his last letter — probably in the Indian Army. The other son, Harold, has been medically discharged from the Royal Air Force.” Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
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