William was single and by trade a woollen piecer, employed to piece together broken woollen threads in the mill. He was ‘deemed to have enlisted’ on the 1st October 1916 but must have been put on a reserve list. He undertook a medical examination on 31st May 1917 and was subsequently called up for service on 27th June 1917. The enrolment paper was signed at Dewsbury, hewas aged 30 years and 11 months old. His health does not appear to have been very good - one form states he was very unfit but this was crossed out and a medical classification of C2 (Able to stand service in garrisons at home walk 5 miles, see and hear sufficiently for ordinary purposes) substituted and another that his physical development was poor and not likely to improve. On 29th June 1917 he was posted to ‘R’ Coy, R.A.M.C. No. 1 Camp, Squires Gate, Blackpool but only 19 days later on the 18th July 1917 he was admitted to the Kings Lancashire Military Convalescent Hospital, Blackpool, where he died of acute pneumonia. William was the son of Thomas and Martha Jane Busfield of 10 Purlwell Road, Batley, West Yorkshire. (Information researched and kindly provided by Chris Ludlam)