| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Willie Laister was born in York on 29 Nov 1893 and baptised at the Wesleyan New Chapel in the city on 7 Jan 1894, the son of W G Laister, from Pocklington, and Millicent (nee Wheatcroft) from Derby. They married in York in 1893 but soon moved to Beverley, living at 22 Trinity Terrace and then 13 Grovehill Road. His father was a draper's assistant and after a spell as a law clerk Willie followed this profession, being the assistant to Mr A S Peabody in Wednesday Market, Beverley. Willie attended St Nicholas' School and was a member of the Church Lads' Brigade where he was described as being "of excellent character" and "a very quiet steady and reliable lad". He and his family were active members of the Toll Gavel Methodist church.
Willie served in the 5th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment as a Private and had been in the Territorial Force before the war. Following mobilisation he arrived in France on 15 Apr 1915 and immediately went into battle at St Julien and further actions in the Ypres area of Belgium. He was still with the 5th in 1918 after time on the Somme in 1916 and at Arras and Paschendaele in 1917. The 5th were mauled in the German Spring Offensive in Mar 1918 and shifted to a quieter front on the Aisne to recover. However on 27 May 1918 the Germans launched another surprise attack called Operation Blucher and forced the 5th to withdraw. Large numbers of men, including Willie, were taken prisoner at Crayonne. Willie was posted as missing but had been moved to the German POW camp at Darmstadt, news of this only reaching his parents in early Jul 1918. On the 30 Oct 1918, two weeks before the end of the war, Willie died of "intestinal catarrah" and was buried in the camp cemetery. In 1922-23 he, like other deceased British POWs, was reinterred at the Niederzwehren Cemetery at Kassel in Hesse. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star and the War and Victory Medals.
Willie is remembered on the Hengate War Memorial, the Grovehill Street Shrine and the CLB's Roll of Honour.He is also commemorated in a window at Toll Gavel Church for 12 prominent members of the church.
Includes information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |