Capt
William Horace Curry
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 14/08/1894 |
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Place of birth: Crouch End, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Marine Surveyor Clerk |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Captain |
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Units: — South Staffordshire Regiment, 3rd Bn. attd. 1st Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 25/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Tower Hamlets, Geluveld, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 23 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 90A |
Distinctions and medals 4
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1914-15 Star Medal |
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British War Medal Medal |
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Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
William Horace Curry was born on 14 August 1894 in Crouch End, Middlesex, England. He was the son of William John Curry and Florence Ellen Curry. He emigrated to Canada in 1912, but returned when the war broke out. William served in the 18th Battalion Royal Fusiliers from November 1914 until April 1916. After training at the Officers' Training Corps, he was gazetted as a second lieutenant and served in the 3rd Reserve Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment. He was later attached to the 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment, part of the 91st Brigade, of the 7th Division. On 28 March 1917 Second Lieutenant Curry took part in the attack at Croisilles (France), earning the Distinguished Service Order. He was wounded during this attack and would re-join the battalion on 7 June 1917. At the time of his death, he held the rank of acting captain.
On the night between the 24th and 25th October 1917, 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment took over the front of the 17th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps near Tower Hamlets, Geluveld. The 7th Division was preparing to take part in an attack at 5:40 a.m. on 26 October, which would later be known as the Second Battle of Passchendaele. The aim was to capture the Geluveld plateau and pin down German troops while the main attack pushed towards passchendaele. The attack would be a failure, however, although the right flank of the Battalion was able to capture some ground. However, Captain Curry would not take part in this attack.
William Horace Curry, aged 23, was killed in action on October 25th, 1917. He was likely killed while holding the line before the attack. Captain Curry has no known grave and is remembered on panel 90A of the Tyne Cot Memorial.
On the night between the 24th and 25th October 1917, 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment took over the front of the 17th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps near Tower Hamlets, Geluveld. The 7th Division was preparing to take part in an attack at 5:40 a.m. on 26 October, which would later be known as the Second Battle of Passchendaele. The aim was to capture the Geluveld plateau and pin down German troops while the main attack pushed towards passchendaele. The attack would be a failure, however, although the right flank of the Battalion was able to capture some ground. However, Captain Curry would not take part in this attack.
William Horace Curry, aged 23, was killed in action on October 25th, 1917. He was likely killed while holding the line before the attack. Captain Curry has no known grave and is remembered on panel 90A of the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Sources 3
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1 Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment (The National Archives, Kew (TNA) WO 95/1670/2) https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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91 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters. (The National Archives, Kew (TNA) WO 95/1667/3) https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Baker, Chris. Failed attack at Croisilles 28 March 1917. The Long Long Trail, 20.03.2021. Accessed on 24.10.2022. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/ Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/842162 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=aea0a747-766d-4ee2-b31d-7a1239c036e3 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1063527 |