Pte
William Haslam
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1886 |
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Place of birth: Rochdale, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 42182 |
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Enlistment place: Rochdale, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Lancashire Fusiliers, 2nd/5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 20/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Schüler Galleries, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 31 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: V Row: B Grave: 4 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
William Haslam was born around 1886 in Rochdale, Lancashire, United Kingdom. He was the husband of Nellie Casson Haslam. William enlisted in Rochdale and was assigned to the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (164th Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division).
William was killed in action on 20 September 1917 during the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. On the evening of 14 September 1917, the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers arrived in the vicinity of Ypres. Until 17 September, the battalion remained in the rear area before moving in the evening towards the front line south of St. Julien. On 19 September, the attacking companies were brought to their starting positions northwest of Hindu Cottage. The attack on 20 September was to be carried out in four waves. The first two waves each consisted of two platoons from “C” and “D” Company. These waves aimed to capture the Schuler Galleries and Cross Cottages. The third and fourth waves each consisted of two platoons from “A” and “B” Company, with the objective of taking Green House, Road House, and several dug-outs along what is now Zonnebekestraat.
The attack commenced at 5:40 a.m. The German troops at the Schuler Galleries immediately opened fire with machine guns. The enemy fire was so intense that, before reaching the Galleries, 50% of the battalion had already become casualties. The Schuler Galleries were eventually taken with the help of the 1/8th (Irish) Battalion, King's (Liverpool) Regiment. This battalion also came under heavy fire during their assault, and both battalions only managed to take the Galleries after fierce fighting. After capturing the Galleries, elements of the 2nd/5th Battalion succeeded in taking the remaining objectives, but were unable to hold them. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., several German counterattacks were launched, but these were repelled by artillery and machine-gun fire from the Galleries. Around 5 p.m., the men of the 2nd/5th Battalion attempted another attack from the Galleries, but it was broken up by enemy artillery fire. No further actions were taken by the battalion that day. The losses of the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers on that day were: 40 killed, 236 wounded, and 80 missing.
William Haslam was 31 years old when he was killed. His body was found between Schuler Farm and Hindu Cottage. After the war, William was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, plot V, row B, grave 4.
William was killed in action on 20 September 1917 during the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. On the evening of 14 September 1917, the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers arrived in the vicinity of Ypres. Until 17 September, the battalion remained in the rear area before moving in the evening towards the front line south of St. Julien. On 19 September, the attacking companies were brought to their starting positions northwest of Hindu Cottage. The attack on 20 September was to be carried out in four waves. The first two waves each consisted of two platoons from “C” and “D” Company. These waves aimed to capture the Schuler Galleries and Cross Cottages. The third and fourth waves each consisted of two platoons from “A” and “B” Company, with the objective of taking Green House, Road House, and several dug-outs along what is now Zonnebekestraat.
The attack commenced at 5:40 a.m. The German troops at the Schuler Galleries immediately opened fire with machine guns. The enemy fire was so intense that, before reaching the Galleries, 50% of the battalion had already become casualties. The Schuler Galleries were eventually taken with the help of the 1/8th (Irish) Battalion, King's (Liverpool) Regiment. This battalion also came under heavy fire during their assault, and both battalions only managed to take the Galleries after fierce fighting. After capturing the Galleries, elements of the 2nd/5th Battalion succeeded in taking the remaining objectives, but were unable to hold them. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., several German counterattacks were launched, but these were repelled by artillery and machine-gun fire from the Galleries. Around 5 p.m., the men of the 2nd/5th Battalion attempted another attack from the Galleries, but it was broken up by enemy artillery fire. No further actions were taken by the battalion that day. The losses of the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers on that day were: 40 killed, 236 wounded, and 80 missing.
William Haslam was 31 years old when he was killed. His body was found between Schuler Farm and Hindu Cottage. After the war, William was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, plot V, row B, grave 4.
Sources 4
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164 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters. (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2921/1). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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2/5 Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers Regiment war diary (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO-95-2923-2_02). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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Find a Grave, database en afbeeldingen, gedenkplekpagina voor Private William Haslam (1886–20 sep 1917), Find a Grave-gedenkplek-ID 11167725, citaat Tyne Cot Cemetery, Passchendaele, Arrondissement Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium; Onderhouden door Paul R (bijdrager 47317162). https://nl.findagrave.com/memorial/11167725/william-haslam Sources used |
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Military-Genealogy.com, comp. UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. http://ancestry.com 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/463102 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1610146 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=a5b2fd0f-bf8a-4d67-8d4e-4a1ddbcb3cec |