Corporal, D Company, 1/6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment. Service number: 1473, later 265061.
Early life:
George was born on September 17 1893 and baptised 7 years later at St Andrew’s Church, Keighley. His parents were Ramsden (a mechanic), and Emma Buckley and they lived on Hainworth Lane. At the age of 7 in 1901 he had moved to 8, Ebenezer Place, Keighley with his parents, two sisters and a brother. Ramsden had changed jobs to become a cloth weft worker.
The family had moved to 16, Hainworth Lane in 1911 and his father had changed jobs again to become a grocer in his own shop and George at 17 was a doffer in worsted yarn spinning.
War service
At the outbreak of war he enlisted with the 6th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment and is recorded in Keighley Town Clerk’s enlistment records. He trained for several months and left Folkestone for Boulogne in France with the 1st, 6th Battalion West Riding Regiment on April 14, 1915 and arriving early in the morning the next day. He served with this battalion for the entire war and was relatively unscathed until March 17, 1918 when he was wounded in battle:
1/6th Battalion West Riding Regiment war diary entry for March 1918:
YPRES. 17th. JUDGE SECTOR (in trenches from 10th March): After heavy shelling of front & support lines, enemy attempted to enter trenches on C Coy front. He was driven off by our rifle fire & it is believed that several casualties were inflicted. 3 rifles & a “pork pie” cap were found in front of our line next morning. Casualties – Four men killed. Thirteen men wounded, including: No. 265061 Cpl Buckley, G.H. (D Coy).
Keighley News March 30, 1918 page 3:
Corporal G. H. Buckley, West Riding Regiment, son of Mr and Mrs Buckley, of 15, Hainworth Lane, Keighley, is in a hospital in France suffering from wounds which have necessitated the amputation of the right leg just below the knee. Before enlistment he was employed at Grove Mills, Ingrow, and was connected with the Ingrow Congregational Mission. His brother Morris* was killed in November last.
*Note: He was actually Private Maurice Buckley
George was discharged from the Army with the Silver War Badge in October 1918, just a few weeks before the armistice. The badge showed he was wounded in the service of his country.
Post war:
George married Maud Baker at St Mary’s Church, Eastwood in Keighley on March 31, 1923. George was a spinning overlooker (not a bad job for a man with a missing leg) he was living at 16, Hainworth Lane at Ingrow and Maud was living at 222, Sunnydale View, Thwaites Brow, Keighley. They were both aged 29.
George died at the age of 64 in 1957.
Note: This George Henry Buckley is not to be confused with George Henry Buckle who was in the Workshouse as a child, apparently he also served during the war.
Source information:
England and Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910.
1901 England Census.
1911 England Census.
UK, World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.
Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment war diary WO95 2801-4.
Keighley Union Workhouse roll of honour held at Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley.
