William Batty Duckett
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
It was in 1893 that William Batty Duckett was born registered at Worksop in the December quarter. His parents, William Batty and Elizabeth Duckett also married in the same year and quarter. When William Junior was recorded in the census he was always shown with the surname Batty. He reverted to his birth name when he joined the army. William was born in Harthill, Yorkshire and then the family moved to Killamrsh, Clowne, Creswell and Whitwell where over a period of 18 years had another 7 children. In 1911, William was working as from Whitwell as a horse driver in the local pit. Shortly after this date the family moved once again to number 15 Newgate Street, Worksop. His parents later moved to 41 Vernon Street, Worksop whilst William was in the army.
William Duckett was early to volunteer for enlistment. He was attested for general service in the Sherwood Foresters on 12 Nov 1914. As regimental number 3933 he was attached to the Machine Gun Corps. He left for France on the 8th of August 1916 and disembarked at Le Harve the following day. He was admitted to the field hospital with conjunctivitis in April and was transferred to Notts and Derby Regt and posted to the 16th Bn on 19th July 1916. Although no details are to hand, he was killed in action on the 5th August 1917. By November 1917, his personal items of items wallet, photos, spectacles and case, cigarette case and handkerchief were returned to his mother. Pte. W. Batty Duckett Worksop Guardian 31 August 1917 News has been received of the death, killed in action in France, of Pte. Wm. Batty Duckett, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Batty, of 15, Newgate Street, Worksop, and of the Machine Gun Corps, Notts. and Derby. Regiment. There is no information to hand at present of the circumstances of his death, only an official notification from the Records Office of the Regiment, but there seems to be every reason to believe that he fell about the same time as his brother, Pte. Horace Batty, whose death we reported last week. Thus Mr. and Mrs Batty have received news of the death of both their sons within a fortnight, and the greatest sympathy is extended to them. Pte. Duckett, who was 24 years of age, enlisted in October, 1914, and he had been in France about a year and nine months without a leave home. Lately he had been serving with the tanks. He was born in Killamarsh, but resided in Worksop about six years, and before enlistment worked at Creswell Colliery.
Commemorated on the New Irish Farm Cemetery, Belgium. His brother, Horace Batty was also killed in action on the 1st July 1917 in France.
