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- 10th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

10th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry



   10th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was raised at Pontefract in September 1914 as part of Kitchener's Third New Army and joined 64th Brigade, 21st Division. After initial training close to home they moved to Berkhamsted and then to Halton Park in October. They spent the winter in billets in Maidenhead from November and returned to Halton Park in April 1915. They moved to Witley for final training in August and proceeded to France in September 1915. They marched across France and went straight into action in reserve of the British assault at Loos on the 26th of September, suffering heavy casualties. In 1916 they were in action in the Battles of The Somme, including The Battle of Morval in which the Division captured Geudecourt. In 1917 they were in action during The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, the Arras offensive, the Third Battles of Ypres and The Cambrai Operations. In 1918 the army was reorganised and the 10th Yorkshire light infantry was disbanded on the 13th of February with the troops transferring to other units, including the 20th Entrenching Battalion.

mid Sep 1914 21st Division at Halton Park  At the outbreak of war, Halton Park in Buckinghamshire was offered to the War Office by Alfred de Rothschild for use as a training camp. The first division to arrive was the 21st Yorkshire Division comprising; 8th East Yorkshire, 10th Green Howards, 14th Northumberland Fusiliers, 8th Lincolns, 12th West Yorkshire, 10th York & Lancaster and 9th and 10th KOYLI. They had their Divisional HQ at Aston Clinton House. Halton House was lent to the RFC who also trained in the grounds.

15th Nov 1914 21st Division move to billets for winter  In November 1914, 21st Division left Halton Park and moved into billets for the winter. The 10th Green Howards departed for Aylesbury on the 15th of November.

22nd May 1915 21st Division return to Halton Park  21st Division returned to the huts at Halton Park in April and May 1915 having spent the winter in billets. 10th Battalion Green Howards returned to the camp on the 22nd of May.

11th Sep 1915 On the Move

12th Sep 1915 On the Move

13th Sep 1915 On the Move

14th Sep 1915 Training

15th Sep 1915 Orders

16th Sep 1915 Training

17th Sep 1915 Training

18th Sep 1915 Visit

19th Sep 1915 Exercise

20th Sep 1915 On the March

21st Sep 1915 On the March

22nd Sep 1915 On the March

23rd Sep 1915 At Rest

24th Sep 1915 Night March

25th Sep 1915 Bivouac

26th Sep 1915 Attack Made

27th Sep 1915 Relief Completed  location map

28th Sep 1915 On the Move  location map

29th Sep 1915 In Billets

30th Sep 1915 In Billets

1st Mar 1916 Shelling

2nd Mar 1916 Reliefs

3rd Mar 1916 Bombardment  location map

4th Mar 1916 Shelling  location map

5th Mar 1916 Sleet  location map

6th Mar 1916 Observation Balloons  location map

7th Mar 1916 Snow  location map

8th Mar 1916 Aeroplanes Active  location map

1st Jul 1916 Success and Failure

5th Mar 1917 Reliefs  location map

5th March 1917 On the March  location map

1st Dec 1917 Counter Attack  location map

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 10th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry?


There are:5265 items tagged 10th 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.


Those known to have served with

10th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Bamber John Walton. Lt. (d.1st July 1916)
  • Barnes Lawrence Fairbank. 2nd.Lt. (d.24th July 1917)
  • Bennett Arthur. L/Cpl
  • Crossley Arthur Nowell. Pte.
  • Forrester John George. Pte.
  • Haslam Joseph Edward. L/Cpl.
  • Longson John Henry. Pte. (d.25th September 1916)
  • Nash MM. Enoch. Sgt.
  • Nunn Louis. Pte.
  • Oakes Henry Charles. Sgt. (d.1st July 1916)
  • Staley MM. Daniel. Spr. (d.14th November 1918)
  • Staniforth Thomas Henry. L/Cpl. (d.1st July 1916)
  • Sutton Henry Craggs. Pte. (d.4th Oct 1917)
  • Waller VC. Horace. Pte. (d.10th Apr 1917)
  • Weighell James William. Pte. (d.25th September 1916)
  • Wilson Walter Herbert. Pte. (d.4th Oct 1917)

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 10th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry from other sources.


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  Pte. Arthur Nowell Crossley 10th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

Arthur Crossley was a mill worker from Batley, born in 1877. He married Edith Law in 1900 and had seven children, six girls and one boy, Albert, who was killed during the advance to Castiglione del Lago (Italy) on 29th of June 1944. Arthur served with the 10th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, survived the Great War and died in Batley in 1948, aged 71.







  L/Cpl Arthur Bennett 10th Btn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

Arthur Bennett served with the 10th Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in WW1.

Arthur Smith Jr.






  Spr. Daniel Staley MM. 182nd Coy. Royal Engineers (d.14th November 1918)

Daniel Staley was born in a small coal mining town of Newhall in South Derbyshire in 1891. He followed the family tradition of mining.

He enlisted with the 10th Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and was later transferred to the 182nd Coy, Royal Engineers. He died on the 14th of November 1918 aged 27 years from injuries sustained in a road traffic accident, while riding a bicycle. He was awarded a Military Medal during his service and is buried at Avesnes-Sur-Helpe, Communal Cemetery. France. His his brother Joseph 11573, Leicestershire Regiment is named on the Thiepval Memorial.







  Pte. James William Weighell 10th Battalion, 64th Brigade King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.25th September 1916)

Private James William Weighell is remembered on the Osmotherley War Memorial and in St Peter's Church, Osmotherley, North Yorkshire. As a local resident I am researching his story for the WW100 Commemoration.

<p>Osmotherley War Memorial

<p>James Weighell commemorated on a plaque in St Peter's Church, Osmotherley

<p>James Weighell commemorated in a church window, St Peter's osmotherley

Stephen Rogers






  2nd.Lt. Lawrence Fairbank Barnes 10th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.24th July 1917)

Lawrence Barnes served with the 10th Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

Caroline Hunt






  Pte. Walter Herbert Wilson 10th Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.4th Oct 1917)

My great uncle, Walter Wilson, known by his middle name, Herbert was the younger brother of my grandad, both served in WW1. Herbert initially joined the Northumberland Fusiliers I think but is recorded as being in the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry at the time of his death. He was a Middlesbrough area lad possibly enlisted Skelton, Marske or somewhere like that. I am trying to find out some information about him as we have no photo. He was serving in the 10th Battalion KOYLI and was killed on the 4th of October 1917. His body was never found.

I don't have a photo of him and my grandfather's possessions were thrown out by my aunt in the 60s so desperate to know something about him so we can keep his name alive in the family. It's our duty to do so.







  Pte. Louis Nunn 10th Btn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

I have a postcard to my grandmother from her brother informing her of contact details: Private L Nunn, D company, 10th battalion, 14 platoon, Yorkshire Light Infantry, British Expeditionary Force, France. He immigrated to Canada after the war to farm very successfully.







  Lt. John Walton Bamber 10th Btn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.1st July 1916)

John Bamber was born in Ladysmith in 1886 and was present as a 13 year old boy with his family at the siege of Ladysmith.

He was accepted at St. Augustine's Training College, Canterbury, England in 1912 for training as an ordained missionary but suspended his training and signed up when war broke out. He went to Halton Camp and from there was billeted in Maidenhead where he became engaged to a local girl.

He sailed for France in September 1915 and was in the Battle of Loos and then the Battle of the Somme where he was killed by machine gun fire during the first assault.

He is commemorated on a plaque in All Saints Church, Maidenhead, and also in Durban Cathedral and Pietermaritzburg Boys' College.

Ken Smith






  L/Cpl. Thomas Henry Staniforth 10th Btn. King's Own Yorkshire Light infantry (d.1st July 1916)

I came across Thomas Staniforth while researching my family tree. Although he was my father's cousin, his death was nearly 20 years before my father was born. The commemoration of the Somme brought Thomas to mind and I thought it was right to add his name to this website.

Julie Hukins






  Pte. John George Forrester 26th Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers

Jack Forrester served in the 3rd Tyneside Irish, 26th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers and transferred to 10th Btn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in Feb 1918. In WW2 he served with the Auxiliary Fire Service.

John Broughton






  Pte. Horace Waller VC. 10th Btn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.10th Apr 1917)

Horace Waller served in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 10th Battalion and was killed in action on 10th April 1917 aged 20 years. He is buried in the Cojeul British Cemetery in France. He was the son of John Edward and Esther Waller, of "Laurel Bank," Heald's Rd., Dewsbury

An extract from "The London Gazette," No. 30122, dated 8th June, 1917, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery when with a bombing section forming a block in the enemy line. A very violent counter-attack was made by the enemy on this post, and although five of the garrison were killed, Pte. Waller continued for more than an hour to throw bombs, and finally repulsed the attack. In the evening the enemy again counter-attacked the post and all the garrison became casualties, except Pte. Waller, who, although wounded later, continued to throw bombs for another half an hour until he was killed. Throughout these attacks he showed the utmost valour, and it was due to his determination that the attacks on this important post were repulsed."

s flynn






  Pte. Henry Craggs Sutton 10th Btn. A coy. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (d.4th Oct 1917)

My uncle, Henry Craggs Sutton of 'A' Coy. 10th Bn. KOYLI, is recorded as being killed in action between Polygon Wood and Routel Village. Henry was born in 1897 in Gateshead, the son of John George and Margaret Sutton, of 36, South St., Gateshead.

Henry is remembered at the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Bob Witherspoon






  Sgt. Enoch "Knocker" Nash MM. 10th Btn Kings own Yorkshire Light Infantry

My grandfather, Enoch Nash served in the KOYLI during WW1 from 1914 until demobbed in February 1919 in the 10th Battalion. He was awarded the military medal for bravery which I have in my possession, along with his 1914/15 star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. I believe he was awarded the Military Medal for bringing in his wounded captain (Capt. W. M. Penny) although he very rarely spoke of his war "it being too terrible". I don't have the citation for the medal and have had no luck trying to trace it.

Barry Nash






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