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1st Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
1st Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry were in Singapore when war broke out in August 1914. They returned to England, as soon as a Territorial unit arrived to man the garrision, landing at Southampton on the 9th of November. They moved to Hursley Park moving to Harwich on the 18th November. On the 17th of December they returned to Hursley Park to joing 83rd Brigade, 28th Division. They proceeded to France from Southampton, landing at le Harve on the 16th of January, they concentrated in the area between Bailleul and Hazebrouck, being joined by additional Territorial units. In 1915 they were in action in The Second Battle of Ypres and The Battle of Loos. On the 19th of October 1915 orders were recieved to prepare to sail and five days later the first units left Marseilles for Alexandria in Egypt all units (with the exception XXXI and CXLVI Brigades RFA) arrived the by 22nd of November and the 1st KOYLI went on to Salonika on the 7th of December 1916. Later in the year they were in action during the occupation of Mazirko and the capture of Barakli Jum'a. In 1917 they were involved in the capture of Ferdie and Essex Trenches (near Barakli Jum'a) and then the capture of Barakli and Kumli. In mid 1918 a number of units returned to France including the 1st KOYLI who left the division on the 20th of June and moved to France via Taranto, Italy.. They joined the reforming
151st Brigade in 50th (Northumbrian) Division on the 16th of July. They went back into action in October in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line, The pursuit to the Selle and the Final Advance in Picardy. At the Armistice the 50th Division was resting at Solre le Chateau, demobilisation began December and the service of the Division was disbanded on 19th of March when the final troops left for England.
2nd Feb 1915 Registration 
3rd Feb 1915 Shelling
4th Feb 1915 Attack Made
5th Feb 1915 Communication Issues
16th Feb 1915 Barrage
17th Feb 1915 Attack Made
24th Feb 1915 Artillery Support
26th Feb 1915 Reliefs
27th Feb 1915 Conference
28th Feb 1915 Shelling
2nd of March 1915 Patrols
3rd of March 1915 Enemy Fire Silenced
4th of March 1915 Enemy Nervous
6th of March 1915 No Hostile Patrols
7th of March 1915 A Searchlight Hit
10th of March 1915 POW Taken
11th of March 1915 Mortar Shells
13th of March 1915 Booby Trap
16th March 1915 Information
16th of March 1915 No Hostile Patrols
19th of March 1915 Patrols
30th of March 1915 Hostile MG Damaged?
31st of March 1915
31st March 1915 Working Parties
31st of March 1915 Staff
1st of April 1915 Orders
2nd of April 1915 Quiet Day
7th of April 1915 Mostly Quiet
7th Apr 1915 Reorganisation
8th of April 1915 Another Quiet Day
11th of April 1915 Train Fired On
17th of April 1915 Mines Exploded
7th May 1915 Heavy Shelling
21st of May 1915 Awards
11th of July 1918
15th of July 1918
15th of July 1918
4th of October 1918
4th of October 1918
12th of October 1918 Orders
19th of October 1918
12th of November 1918 Casualties
12th of November 1918 Casualties
12th of November 1918 Report
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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| Want to know more about 1st Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry? There are:5274 items tagged 1st Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with1st Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry during the Great War 1914-1918. - Beaumont Willie. Pte. (d.8th May 1915)
- Billing Frederick. Cpl. (d.1st Oct 1915)
- Evans Francis James. L/Cpl. (d.2nd Feb 1915)
- Hoult Edgar. Pte. (d.17th Oct 1918)
- Hudson Samuel Tudor. Cpl. (d.8th May 1915)
- Justice James Robert. WOI.
- Meredith William Harold. Pte. (d.3rd Oct 1918)
- Mottley M.C. Herbert William. Capt.
- Prescott Charles Henry. Pte. (d.8th November 1918)
- Ringham William John. Pte.
- Simmonite Herbert Henry. Pte.
- Sykes Arthur. Lance Corporal (d.8th November 1918)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 1st Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry from other sources.
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Pte. Willie Beaumont 1st Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.8th May 1915) Willie Beaumont was born in 1896. One of 8 children whose parents were Blackburn Beaumont and Eliza Beaumont of Gomersal, W.Yorks. Blackburn was a joiner and the family lived at Church Lane. In the 1911 census Willie is a newsboy at the Station News Shop. Blackburn Beaumont was my great grandfather, George's brother.
Willie is commemorated on his parent's gravestone in St Mary's Church Graveyard, Gomersal and also at the Menin Gate (though here the date of death is given as August).
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Pte. Herbert Henry Simmonite 1st Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Herbert Simmonite enlisted at age 16 in WW1 and served with the 1st and 6th Battalions, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. He landed in France on 25th of May 1915, two months short of his 17th birthday, with the 6th (Service) Battalion at Boulogne-Sur-Mer and possibly took part in the Battle of Loos in September 1915, after which they went to Marseilles on 21st of October, where they boarded transport ships on 24th of October and then finally disembarked at Salonika in December 1916.
Herbert subsequently returned to the Western Front and was discharged in 1919. He lived a long life and died in 1960.
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Pte. William John Ringham 12th,6th,5th,9th,1st Btn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Unfortunately, Private William John Ringham's service record (or a pension record) was not available through Ancestry.com resources; accordingly, it is likely this his records were destroyed during the Second World War. On his Medal Rolls Index Card, there is no secondary service number listed (i.e., Labour Corps), thus Private Ringham probably served in the Infantry throughout his time in the Army. On his Service Medal and Award Roll, there is a little more information. For example, Private Ringham served in FIVE different battalions, listed in order: 12th, 6th, 5th, 9th and 1st. Based upon www.1914-1918.net, "The King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)", it is likely that he served primarily in France, but may have also served at Salonika. Back to Private Ringham's Service Medal and Award Roll - he transferred into "Reserve Z." status on November 9, 1919, suggesting that he was not disabled during the Great War. For his service, Private William John Ringham was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
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Pte. Charles Henry Prescott 1st Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.8th November 1918) Charles Prescott, son of John and Fanny Prescott, Low Apley, Langworth, Lincoln, enlisted at Lincoln with the 1st Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. He was killed in action on 8th of November 1918 and is buried in Dourlers Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France. Information courtesy of http://www.roll-of-honour.com
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Cpl. Samuel Tudor Hudson 1st Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.8th May 1915) Samuel Hudson was my great great uncle, son of John and Eliza Hudson.
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Pte. Edgar Hoult 1st Btn., B Coy. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.17th Oct 1918) We have no real data other than the minimal data to be found from the surviving records. Not even sure of his date of signup. What is sure is that Private Edgar Hoult fell on 17th October 1918, near Le Cateau in the Battle of the Selle, less than one month before the end of the war.
I have been scouring the web to find more information, there are no family members that I am aware of that might help with more information, but I feel it would be nice if his name were included on your website along with those of his comrades.
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WOI. James Robert Justice 1st Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry James Robert Justice joined the K.O.Y.L.I in 1904 at Aldershot he served with the 1st and 2nd battalions as various times. He was reported killed in action at Ypres 8th May 1915 (the family has the original KIA letter), later found to be incorrect and was in fact a POW at Giessen and later marched to Chateau du Oex in Switzerland finally being released in Nov 1917. He became RSM after the war and took the regiment out to Malaya, in later years his son in law James Leo Tanner also K.O Y.L.I RSM brought the regiment back from Malaya. He retired as WO CL I and became a postman eventually passing away in 1950.
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Pte. William Harold Meredith 1st Btn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.3rd Oct 1918) William Meredith was killed in action during an attack on the villages of Le Catelet and Gouy, near the St. Quentin canal. He was my Great-great Grandad.
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Cpl. Frederick Billing 1st Btn King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.1st Oct 1915) Frederick Billing died on 1st October 1915 at the age of 37 whilst serving with the 1st Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
He was the husband of Mary Billing (Finnerty) of Jarrow. On the 1911 census he is listed as Frederick Billing age 33 Ships Platers Helper in Shipyard is with his wife Mary Billing and children at 11 Chaytor Street, Jarrow.
Born Sheffield, he lived in Jarrow and enlisted in South Shields.
Frederick is remembered on the Loos Memorial and is commemorated on the Triptych in St. Paul's Church, Jarrow.
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Capt. Herbert William Mottley M.C. 1st Btn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry This was my grandfather, Herbert William Mottley. I have only now learned his story (or part of it). The Supplement to the London Gazette, 30 July, 1919 gives the outline of the engagement that earned him the M.C. At that time he was T./Lt. (Acting Captain) 1st Batt York Light Infantry. It reads: "For conspicuous gallantry during the attack on Prospect Hill in front of Le Catelet on Oct 3rd, 1918. In face of many difficulties and strong opposition he showed great skill and determination in gaining the objective which he suceeded in holding throughout the day. Again on the night of Oct 8th, when his company attacked Villers Farm near Villers Outreaux, he carried out a critical operation with extreme coolness under heavy machine-gun fire."
I do not have any details of this engagement or indeed others in which he was engaged or any photographs of his time in the army. Unfortunately I did not know him as he died when I was one year old, but I would like to pay tribute to him and his comrades.
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