Born: 25th April 1922
Story
Willie was the son of Thomas Lodge (1891-1964) and Annie Hayes (1892-1972), who were both from Bottomboat, near Wakefield, and had married in Stanley on 12th December 1915. In the early 1920s, the family moved to Hollings Cottage on Brecks Lane, Kippax. Willie worked as a labourer on the poultry Farm, whilst his father was a horseman on Brecks farm.
Willie’s oldest brother George served in the Coldstream Guards, and passed away in an Italian hospital from wounds received in combat on 3rd August 1941, aged 24. In June 1943, while serving in North Africa, Willie met Private Schofield of Garforth. The two of them had both attended Garforth Parochial School. The North African campaign lasted between 10th June 1940 and 13th May 1943, and covered battles fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts, in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
After the War, Willie married Dorothy Mark in 1953. His wife lived at 31 Beechgrove Avenue, Garforth, and the couple moved to 57 Strawberry Avenue, Garforth. They both passed away in 2006, while living at 4 Summerhill Grove, Garforth.
Below: A British patrol on the lookout for enemy movements over a valley in the Western Desert, on the Egyptian side of the Egypt-Libya border, in February of 1942:
Kippax Roll of Honour 