Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of George Edward Clifton a wood turner, born 1868 in Oundle, Northants., and his wife Annie, born 1866 in Burton Latimer, Leics. William George Edward was born in 1900 in Barrowden, Rutland, he had one sibling, a sister Olive Annie, born 1897 in Barrowden, Rutland, in March 1901 the family home was at the Crown Inn, Barrowden, Rutland. In April 1911 William was a scholar and was residing in the family home at Barrowden, Rutland, together with his parents and sister Olive. He enlisted when only fifteen years and four months of age, embarking for France on the 30th July 1916. He was taking part in the big push on the Somme when the villages of Lesboeufs and Morval were taken, severing the enemy’s communications with Combles. In this operation the troops had the co-operation of a tank which crawled along the parapet of the trenches the troops had been ordered to take. At the same time an aeroplane flew low over the trenches during its progress, helping with its bombs to make the victory complete. The British infantry in these great days of battle, which culminated on September 25th called “Glorious Twenty Fifth”, gained its objectives and in no single case were they driven out again. Sadly he was shot through the chest and died during this action, and was buried where he fell, and his grave marks the turning point, when after two years of national effort, thanks to the Ministry of Munitions and countless devoted workers of both sexes, who toiled with brain and hand, and enabled us to overtake the German Army which before held every possible advantage that its prolonged preparation and busy factories could give it.