| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
William Hirst Briggs was born in Beverley on 10 Mar 1897, the second child and eldest son of William Hirst and Blanche Goodwin Briggs. William had three siblings, Lily, Dorothy and Kenneth. William was baptised on 10 Feb 1898 in Beverley Wesleyan Circuit. His father was an ironmonger, one of the founders of one of Beverley's oldest businesses, Briggs and Powell.
William enlisted on 25 Mar 1915 in Hull, joining the 10th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment, otherwise known as the 1st Hull Pals, or the Commercials. From the 25 Mar 1915 to 15 Apr 1916 he was posted to the home front. On 16 Apr 1916 he was sent to France. There is a note on Williams service record that states 'Regarded for official purposes as having died on or since 12/4/1918'. His body was never recovered. After his death William's soldier's effects came to a total worth of £21 11s 8d and, in his will he left the sum of £561 17s 1d to his father.
William was posthumously awarded the British Medal and the Victory Medal. He is remembered on the Ploegstreet Memorial in Belgium, the St Mary's Roll of Honour and the East Riding Regiment Memorial in the Beverley Minster and the Hengate War Memorial.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |