Current Information:

Age-23

2, Callcott Road, Kilburn

The 9th London battalion, arrived in France on 5th November 1914 and joined 13 Brigade, 5th Division. On 30th December they went into the front line trenches at Wulverghem, just south of Messines where the trenches were close to the River Douvre and consequently often flooded, up to the men’s waists in places. On the morning of 1st January, 1915 German shells hit a barn next to a farmhouse where two platoons were in reserve, killing 11 of them and wounding a further 36. Not a good start to the New Year. William Gough was one of those killed in this incident.