15177 A/Sgt William Boden, 3rd Bn East Lancashire Regt.
A member of the corporation tramways office staff from Burnley, Lancs (residing on Tennis Street in that town at the time of his enlistment), William was one of the early enlistees into the ‘Burnley Pals' (Z) Company of the 11th Bn East Lancs (‘Accrington Pals') in September 1914. With them, he served, after training, in Egypt and then in France - where he was wounded by shrapnel on 1 July 1916 in front of Serre. Returning to the UK for treatment, William spent several months in hospital in St Albans when, after a spell of home-leave, he presented himself back for service with the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, East Lancs at the Plymouth depot. Whilst at the depot, William contracted pneumonia and died of this in hospital in Plymouth. He was buried with full military honours at the Wesleyan Burial Ground at Worsthorne near Burnley soon afterwards (please note that this churchyard is listed by the CWGC as ‘Worsthorne Methodist Chapelyard').
7 March 1917
Research by David O'Mara, Croonaert Research Services.
