Current Information:

Age-49

Enlisted-Chelsea

By the end of 1914 the fighting front had stagnated into the static trench lines of the Western Front and it was now possible to tunnel under the enemy’s positions and explode a large a mine there. Both sides soon adopted these tactics and the Tunnelling Companies of the Royal Engineers were formed early in 1915, made up of men from the ranks with mining experience and also hurriedly recruited civilians, such as the men who dug the London Underground tunnels. They remained a feature of the war until the end doing a very dangerous job that few men envied.

Formed in October 1915, 184th Tunnelling Company spent the next year and a half in the Somme area before moving north to Belgium in June 1917 where, among other tasks, they helped in preparing tank crossings over the Ypres canal. William Insley was killed on 13th August, 1917, but as yet there is no further information concerning his death.