William Arthur Massey





Royal Field Artillery, High Wycombe (picture from SWOP website)

William Arthur Massey's grave in High Wycombe Cemetery





William Arthur Massey 1895 - 1915

My name is William Arthur Massey and I was born in Ditton Priors, Shropshire in 1895. So I wasn't a local lad. My parents were John James & Sarah nee Bennett. In 1901 we were still living in Shropshire with my paternal grandfather on his farm at Heath House, Lightwood Farm, Chetton, Bridgenorth, Shropshire (Salop). My father was a gamekeeper. I was the oldest. My siblings were: Ethel, one year my junior, the twins Lily & Harold and baby Edgar Cecil who sadly died when he was 5 years old.

When my grandfather died in 1903 my father took over the farm. It was a big responsibility and in 1911 we were still living there. I was 15yrs old and had found employment as a gardener/domestic. My brother Harold was still at home and I now had another brother Stanley Gordon aged 7yrs.

I enlisted at Wolverhampton to serve with the Royal Field Artillery who were responsible for the artillery support for the British Army which consisted of medium calibre guns and howitzers and heavy mortars. These were deployed close to the Front Line.

Training was carried out at many locations across Britain including the 4th Reserve Brigade (Territorial Force) based at High Wycombe. I was billeted with a Mrs Bracey while in High Wycombe. I was still in training as a Gunner when I contracted pneumonia and died at the V.A.D hospital in High Wycombe. I was twenty years old.

Disappointingly no war medals were awarded to me so it can be assumed that I never got to see any active service abroad. My name appears on the Ditton Priors Memorial in Ditton Priors Parish Church in Shropshire, Where I am listed as A. Massey.

The inscription on my grave reads : “ UNTIL THE MORNING BREAKS AND THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY”



Researched by Ruth Bowler, Flackwell Local Area History Group

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