The Soldiers

15/534.Pte.Wilfred Joy. 

15/1794.Pte.Walter Joy.

Born Leeds 1897
Killed in action 3/5/1917 age 21.

Born Leeds 1897
Killed in action 16/4/1917 age 21.

Wilfred and Walter Joy were the sons of William and Elizabeth Joy of 18 Strathmore Drive, Harehills Lane, Leeds. Wilfred enlisted in the "Pals" in September 1914. His brother Walter enlisted in the second draft in May 1915 and after training together at Colsterdale saw service in Egypt and then France. They went ‘over the top’ together on 1^st of July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme and both survived, although Walter was wounded and after recovering was posted to the 1^st Battalion West Yorks,
Wilfred stayed with the "Pals".
They were both killed in action within a few weeks of each other, Walter on the 16^th April 1917 and Wilfred on the 3^rd May 1917.
Walter is buried at Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas-de Calais, France and Wilfred at Orchard Dump Cemetery, Arleux-en-Gohelle, Pas-de-Calais, France.

The Leeds Pals Website would like to thank the Joy family for their help in supplying the photograph above and kind words in a recent letter.