William (known as 'Willie') was born in Widecombe in December 1890, his father was William Robert Nosworthy and his mother Elizabeth Smerdon. William had three sisters Hilda Elizabeth, Ruby Annie and Maude Louise. The family lived at Southway Farm, Widecombe.

William attended Widecombe School from 1897, but his date of leaving is not recorded on the school records.

By the time of the 1911 Census William is listed as working on the family farm at Southway.

In February 1914 William married Annie Louisa Irish, elder sister of John Henry Irish (also killed during the Great War). The wedding service was conducted in Widecombe Church by Reverend John Kitson, brother of Robert Kitson and uncle of Walter Kitson. The couple had three children Raymond, Louisa and Bryan.

William "attested" (enlisted for Army Service) in 1914 but his call up was deferred until 1916 when compulsory conscription was introduced. Despite an appeal on the grounds he was “much needed” on the family farm, William was "called to the colours" and posted to 2nd/4th Battalion Devonshire Regiment.

The Regiment were, in 1916, serving in India, and William will have travelled to that country to join them. His stay would have been a relatively short one because in October 1917 the Battalion were sent to Palestine and in December 1917 joined the 75th Division.

The 2nd/4th Devonshires were not involved in heavy fighting when they arrived in Palestine, predominantly skirmishes with Turkish troops. They were transferred to duties at Kantara in Egypt in 1918.

Illness was a much bigger problem and caused the deaths of many men much more so than enemy action. William Robert Smerdon Nosworthy died in this manner.

William is commemorated in Kantara War Memorial Cemetery in Egypt, in Widecombe Church and on the family headstone in the churchyard. Seven years after his death his widow Annie Louisa married John Willcocks and lived to the age of 92.

 

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