William Humphreys, Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Private, 5689, 'A' Company, 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Died, aged 26, on 16 May 1915 at the Western Front.

The Battalion was in Malta in August 1914. On return to the UK it was attached to 22nd Brigade, 7th Division and landed at Zeebrugge on 7 October 1914. It eventually moved with the Division to Italy in November 1917.

Private Humphreys enlisted at Holyhead on 24 August 1914, initially into the 3rd Battalion RWF, then into the 1st Battalion and arrived in France on 17 February 1915. The Battalion took a very active part in the Battle of Festubert (15-25 May 1915). On the 16 May they were in the first wave attacking the enemy lines and set off at 03:15 after a sustained period of heavy bombardment. 'A' Company took the lead followed by 'B', 'C' and 'D'. They encountered heavy machine gun fire but were successful in breaching the German front line and making almost three quarters of a mile of ground. However, the Battalion found themselves very exposed in a nearby orchard and suffered heavy shellfire, some of which came from their own guns. They managed to hold onto their gains until evening when they were forced to withdraw being in a very exposed position without adequate support and suffering significant losses from shellfire. It was in this action that CSM Fredrick Barter of 'A' Company won the Victoria Cross when he and eight others seized a large section of enemy trench and captured over a hundred prisoners. In all, the operation resulted in over 16,000 allied casualties. The Division suffered 4,123 casualties over the three days they were engaged. The Battalion set off on the attack with 25 officers and 806 other ranks. Only 6 officers and 247 men returned. Private Humphreys was one of 170 men posted as missing at the end of the day.

Born on 29 January, 1889 at Holyhead, the son of the late Robert and Mary Humphreys (nee Roberts), of 21A, London Rd., Holyhead, Anglesey. In 1911 he lived with his widowed father (54), sisters Hannah Jane (32) and Ellen Catherine (24) and brother, Thomas John (27) at 21A London Road, Holyhead. Both he and his father were employed as Labourers.

He died on the same day as Hugh Griffith Jones, another member of the Ist Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. His brother, Thomas John Humphreys, died in Mesopotamia on 23 July 1917 whilst serving with the 8th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Awarded the 1914-15 Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal.

Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, France, Panel 13 and 14. He has no known grave.