Private William Skelly

Private William Skelly, 1st/7th ( Territorial ) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. He was killed in action on 25th March 1918, aged 29 during the German Spring Offensive ( Operation Michael ). He was the son of Mary and the late John Skelly of 24 Kiln Hill, Tweedmouth and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Arras, France. The photographs show Allied troops preparing to resist the advancing Germans. The colour photograph shows the impressive Memorial raised to commemorate the 50th ( Northumbrian ) Division of which the Battalion was part until February 1918 when it was transferred to the 42nd ( East Lancashire ) Division as the Pioneer Battalion. It was erected near the village of Weiltje in the Ypres Salient where nearby on April 1915 at St. Julien the Division had fought its first action of the War only days after landing on the Continent.