When the war started William Clifford
Mcneil and his brother Harold, both from Cudworth near Barnsley and
working at the Farnley ironworks immediately volunteered, both were
lodging with the Pickersgill family at 17, Pontefract Terrace, Old
Farnley, Leeds.
William joined the Pals on 9/9/1914,
a few weeks later his brother joined the 1/7th battalion
of the West Yorkshire regiment (The Leeds Rifles) after training as
a platoon bomber with A company William served alongside fellow
Farnley “Pals”
John Doughty,
John Hill, Arthur
Jackson and
Willie Rudkin in Colsterdale,
Egypt and France,
When the Pals attacked Serre on 1st
of July 1916 William was severely wounded and evacuated to a
military hospital in England, his brother Harold now attached to the
10th Battalion was also wounded on this day and evacuated to
Sittingbourne, Kent.
Armley and Wortley News
14/7/1916:
“Harold McNeil, Leeds Rifles, a single man whose home is at
Pontefract Terrace, Farnley is in hospital in Sittingbourne, His
brother is also wounded”
William recovered after
several months in Hospital and after returning to duty in France was
transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, he remained with the air
force until the war ended, returning to civilian life in 1919.
