BORN – Chirk
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation / Meifod(WM) / St Oswald’s Church
JOB – Gardener
UNIT – 7 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
RANK – Private 17292
THEATRE – Arras / Tilloy les Mofflaines & Monchy le Preux. 7 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. 28 April 1917
DIED – DoW 28 April 1917. Aged 34.
BURIED – Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun. (CWGC)
William Henry Corbett was born at Cefn-y-Wern, Chirk in 1883. He was the eldest of 6 children to Samuel and Clara Corbett. Their father was a coachman and domestic servant. He had been brought up in Oswestry living at ‘Fairfield’, Welsh Walls, and at 87 Park Avenue. William was a gardener. In 1911 he married Annie Evans and they were living at Pen y Coed, Meifod, Powys where he was working as head gardener for Mr Williams-Wyn of Coed y Maen, a country house and estate just outside the village. They had two sons, Wilfred, born in 1912, and Arthur, in 1913, They later set up home in his wife Annie’s hometown of Shrewsbury living on Hill’s Lane not far from Welsh Bridge. He was still working at Meifod.
William enlisted in July 1915 and, based on his medal records, he was a Special Reservist. He at first joined 5 Bn KSLI and went over to France in August 1915, probably as a draft. He was wounded during the Loos Offensive in September 1915, when he was shot in the thigh and cheek. On returning to duty, probably in early 1916, he was posted to 7 Bn KSLI. William was wounded on 25 April and died of his wounds on 28 April 1917 at No Casualty Clearing Station at Duisans. He is buried in Duisans British Cemetery. The battalion had been involved in the Second Battle of Scarpe during the Arras Offensive. The War Diary for 25 April records that the battalion was in the line at Monchy, casualties for this day were 5 other ranks KIA, 16 wounded and 2 missing, no other details are given. William is also on the war memorial at St Oswald’s Church, Oswestry and at St Mary’s Church, Meifod.
Meifod War Memorial located on outside of St Mary’s Church.
On the 25th September 2014 at the Last Post Ceremony at the Tower of London the name of William Henry Corbett was read out.
William was also the employer of Private 200588 John R (Richard) Jones, 1/4 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. KIA 3 November 1918, Jenlain Communal Cemetery
Acknowledgements. Jeff Warnett, Meifod War Memorial
Photo provided by family and used with their permission.
Photo of Meifod War Memorial provided by Jeff Warnett and used with his permission.
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