WHITLEY, William Thomas, T/14372354, Private. b. 1922 d. 23rd October 1943 (aged 21)

William’s life only became intertwined with Clayton shortly before his death at the tender age of twenty-one. He had grown up outside of Bradford. William was the son of William Thomas Whitley and Elizabeth Whitley of Cambridge. William came into the village through his wife Doreen (nee Doreen Tordoff) The pair had met earlier on in the war, quite possibly if William was stationed as one of the drivers that ran the vehicle park around the Delph in the village.

The ‘T’ prefix in his unique service number gives us an indication that he was connected to the transport section of the Royal Army Service Corps. These men were billeted in the old Wesleyan chapel on Clayton Lane (near to the Fleece public House), so if William and Doreen were courting it would have been relatively easy to see other and on a regular basis.

The couple became engaged and were married on a Saturday in October 1943 at Clayton Methodist Church; Betty Priestley attended the ceremony and remembered it being a joyous village occasion with a good local turn-out.

William left as a newly-wed just days later and travelled up to a new posting in Scotland – this was to be the last time his bride saw him as within a week he had fallen into a river and drowned.

Doreen went from being a bride to a widow within just the space of a few short days, and William’s body was returned to Clayton for a burial service in the same place his marriage had been held shortly before.