Prince of Wales’ Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment, 10th (Service) Battalion, Service no. 12751
Son of George Edward Longbottom and Clara Wilson.
Died 1st July 1916, aged 22
Commemorated at the Fricourt Memorial, Departement de la Somme, Picardie, Plot C.1
Story
Born in Swillington on 16th August 1893, William lived with his parents at Orchard House, Kippax. The Longbottom family moved into Orchard House around 1904, pictured above. The family members in the photo are likely to be William’s parents Edward Longbottom (1868-1927) and Clara Wilson (1867-1939) on the right, and the young children in front may be his siblings Edgar (1900-1949); Louisa (1902-1986) and Edna (1905-1985), plus William Longbottom on the left of the photo.
William worked at Ledston Luck pit, and lived close to, and was likely good friends with Harold Varley and Charles Armitage. During the First World War, they all enlisted in the Prince of Wales’ Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment, 10th (Service) Battalion on 3rd September 1914, the same day that the regiment was formed at York. After various moves, the Regiment was mobilised for war on 14th July 1915, landing at Boulogne and engaged in various actions on the Western Front including in 1915, holding the front lines in southern area of Ypres Salient. William was gassed on 9th December 1915, and after recovering in hospital for four months, he returned to the front, where he was made Orderly to his Major. The 10th Battalion were part of the 17th Division, attacking Fricourt on the morning of 1st July 1916, part of the so called ‘Big Push.’ At 7:28 am seventeen mines were blown up under the German lines, two minutes later 60,000 British Soldiers, laden down with equipment, set off from the trenches. They were told ‘walk don’t run’. The Germans were waiting for them with their machine guns and thousands of men were shot down. Later that day, a further 40,000 more men were sent in to add to the casualties. The 10th Battalion lost 22 officers and 750 men, including William Longbottom, Harold Varley and Charles William Armitage.
William’s parents received a letter from Sergeant W.G. Slimmon who wrote: “There was some doubt as to whether he was wounded or killed, but I regret to say his body has been found today (July 4th) and has been buried. He was an orderly at headquarters, and came under my orders for the last four months, and has done some exceptionally good work. He will be deeply mourned by myself and the remainder of his friends at headquarters and we all offer you our deepest sympathy in your great loss.”
1916 Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme started on 1st July 1916 and lasted until November 1916. For many people, the Battle of the Somme symbolised the horrors of warfare in World War One. It had a marked effect on overall casualty figures and seemed to epitomise the futility of trench warfare.
Kippax Roll of Honour 