Private William Skelly

Private William Skelly, 1st/7th ( Territorial ) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. He was killed in action in France on 25th March 1918, aged 29, during the German Spring Offensive ( Operation Michael ). He was the son of Mary A. and the late John Skelly of 24 Kiln Hill, Tweedmouth and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Arras, France. The colour photograph shows the impressive Memorial raised to commemorate the 50th( Northumbrian ) Division of which the Battalion had been part until February 1918. It was erected near the village of Weiltje in the Ypres Salient where nearby the Division had fought its first action of the War on 26th April 1915 during the Battle of St. Julien only days after landing on the Continent. The other photos show Allied troops preparing to meet resist the advancing Germans.