Private William Riley
| Date of Birth | c. 1884 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 33 |
| Date of Death | 9 April 1917 |
| Service Number | 17167 |
| Military Service | Private, 7th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment |
| Merton Address | 1 Seaton |
| Local Memorial |
Additional Information
Born in Mitcham in 1884, William was the son of Maurice and Susannah Riley. In 1891 the family were living at 14 Fountain Road, Mitcham. William aged 6 was the third son, his siblings being James 10, John 8 and Thomas aged 2. Their father Maurice was employed as a Labourer.
By 1901 the family had moved to 2 Railway cottages, Mitcham. Two more boys joined the family – Walter 10 and Dennis aged 6. 16-year-old William had started work as a Golf Caddy at the nearby Golf Club in Mitcham.
During the Great War, aged 31 years, William enlisted in Tooting with the East Surrey Regiment and was assigned to the 4th Battalion. He is recorded as being 5 ft 9 ins and weighing 157 lbs. He was working as a Labourer at the time, and the address given was 1 Seaton Road, Mitcham.
By 1917, William had transferred to the 7th battalion, and his regiment took part in the Battle of the Somme and in particular – The Battle of Arras. This battle, also known as the Second Battle of Arras took place on the Western Front between 9 April to 16 May 1917. The War Diary for the 9 April gives a detailed account of the battle on that day, which sadly was the day William was killed in action.
William is buried in the Pozieres Cemetery, Ovillers-La Boiselle, France, and is also commemorated locally on the Mitcham War Memorial.
Sadly, the Riley family suffered two losses during the War, as William’s brother Walter was killed earlier in 1916. His story also appears on the Carved in Stone Website.