PROSSER William Henry

William Prosser was born at Droitwich in 1883, the son of Thomas and Mary Prosser. Thomas was a farmworker and the couple had at least 8 children:
William Henry Prosser born 1883.
Charles Prosser born 1886.
Percy Thomas Prosser born 1888.
Alfred Prosser born 1890.
Edith Annie Prosser born 1893.
Gilbert Prosser born 1895.
Esther Prosser born 1898.
Albert Edward Prosser born 1901.
The family resided at 15 Tower Hill, Droitwich.

Prior to enlisting in the army at Worcester William was employed as a farmworker.  He went to France on 12th August 1914.  Between 5th January 1915 and 1st February 1915, the 3rd battalion Worcestershire Regiment were entrenched in positions below the Messine Ridge.  During that period they lost 7 men to sniper fire.  Private Prosser was probably one of those men.

The following information has been researched by and is courtesy of Brian Hill:
William Prosser was born at Droitwich in 1883. He was the son of Thomas and Mary Prosser who in 1911 lived at 15, Tower Hill, Droitwich. He had seven siblings.

William is buried in Loker (formerly Locre) Churchyard about 11 km South West of Ypres. Grave 11. E. 3. This Churchyard was used by Field Ambulances stationed in the Convent of St. Antoine, and he was at 7th Field Ambulance here when he died.

He left a widow, Violet, who subsequently married Fred Leighton, a Munitions Worker, and became Mrs. Violet Leighton.

William Prosser first joined the Worcestershire Regiment sometime in 1903. He entered France on 12th August 1914.

In January 1915 the 3rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, alternated every four days between billets at Locre and the defences facing the Messines Ridge near Spanbroek Mill. The trenches in the clay soil here tended to dissolve in a welter of sticky slime, At one point the slush was so deep that sentries had to be stationed in barrels which almost floated in the liquid mud, where they were marooned for the whole day. In January 1915 the Battalion lost seven killed and twenty wounded, including Willaim Prosser.