Current Information:

Age-23

Enlisted-Blackheath

Bois-de Noulette British Cemetery, Aix-Noulette, France

On 13th July, 1916, 20th London of 141 Brigade, 47th Division, moved into the front line at Souchez just to the north of  Arras. At 1.40am on 17th July a raid was carried out by 2 officers and 86 men on the enemy’s trenches after an artillery bombardment. They got into the German front line but found that it had largely been evacuated. A number of men were wounded by the preliminary bombardment and one man was missing at the end of it. The German retaliation did not come until the afternoon when large trench mortars or minenwerfers destroyed some of the trenches held by 20th London. William Hughes was killed in action on this day but there is no further information as to the exact cause of his death.