Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private W. H. Woodley, 19th (3rd Liverpool Pals’) Battalion, Liverpool Regiment

1914-15 Star (24270 Pte. W. Woodley. L’pool R.); British War and Victory Medals (24270 Pte. W. H. Woodley. L’pool R.) in original named card boxes of issue, nearly extremely fine (3) £70-£90

William Henry Woodley was born in Liverpool on 11 October 1891 and initially enlisted in the 3rd Battalion, The King’s (Liverpool) Regiment on 15 December 1914. Transferred to the 19th Battalion (3rd City), he served in France from 7 November 1915 as part of 89th Brigade, attached 30th Division. Posted to the Somme, the 19th Battalion engaged in heavy fighting at Montauban and in the Fricourt and Guillemont sectors in July 1916, witnessing at first hand Liverpool’s ‘blackest day’ when over 500 of the Liverpool Pals were killed on 30 July 1916.

Woodley and his comrades continued to fight at the Battle of Transloy Ridges in October 1916 and the Battle of Arras in the late spring of 1917, but heavy casualties of over 680 men killed in action resulted in a significant reduction in strength; disbanded in July 1918, the survivors from the 19th Battalion were redeployed to other units, Woodley ending his campaign in the service of the 13th Battalion. He was subsequently discharged no longer physically fit for further war service in August 1918 and issued Silver War Badge ‘442226’.

Returned home to Liverpool, Woodley took employment as a postman and set up home with his wife Elizabeth in Wallasey. He later retired to Abergele, Clwyd, where he died on 26 January 1982, aged 90 years.

Sold with 2 original card identity discs, these impressed ‘24270 W. Woodley W L’pool Regt’.