Arras Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Towers was born at Felling-on-Tyne and married in the district of Gateshead in 1909, Mary Ann Haffey.
He first enlisted as Private 4706 assigned to the Durham Light Infantry later transferred as Private 220147 to the East Yorkshire Regiment 1/4th Battalion, attached to the 150th Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division. He did not leave for France until after December 1915. The 50th Division engaged the Germans’ with the help of the 1/4th East Yorkshire Regiment at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, Morval and Transloy all phases of the Battles of the Somme in 1916 and the Battle of the Scarpe, April 9th-16 May 1917, part of the Arras Offensive.
It was during this phase of fighting that Private Towers was reported missing and later presumed dead, killed in action, as he had not been seen since April 23rd 1917. This date was adopted by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as the official date of his demise.
Private 220147 William Towers East Yorkshire Regiment is commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the Missing, located within the Faubourg d’Amiens British Cemetery, Arras, France, one of the 34,785 names of servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who have no known grave and died during spring 1916 until August 7th 1918 in the Arras sector.
His widow Mary Ann received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 21, Simpson Street, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
William Towers is remembered at Heworth on H92.03, H92.04, H92.07 and at Felling on F32.06
