Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
The War Diary for today records. During the night the enemy rushed forward his field and heavy guns and in the early morning he opened an intense bombardment of the RED LINE, PEIZIERE and the YELLOW LINE, under a heavy barrage he attacked the RED LINE but was driven off. 10.00am. About this hour news was received that the enemy had captured ST. EMILIE and the southern edge of EPEHY and the 8th LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. had been ordered to form a defensive flank on the EPEHY – SAULCOURT ROAD, to combine with this and to cover the right rear of PEIZIERE a second defensive flank facing south was made with every available man from Battalion HQ between YELLOW SUPPORT LINE and CHAUFOURS WOOD. 11.00am. As it was seen that the enemy were entering EPEHY in force from the south the two Tanks were ordered forward to check his advance and if possible clear EPEHY. The enemy retired on seeing their approach, and they report having inflicted heavy casualties. Unfortunately they were running short of petrol and as the engines required repairs they were unable to proceed further and attempting to withdraw to SAULCOURT both were knocked out. 12.00 noon. About this hour orders were received to withdraw the Battalion behind to BROWN LINE and concentrate at LONGAVENES. 12.15pm. Orders were issued for the withdrawal, up to this hour Captain VANNER M.C. was still holding the RED LINE and driving off every attack made on it. After the withdrawal of his Company he waited to superintend the demolition of both bridges over the cutting. This was successfully carried out. The withdrawal of the Battalion and the extrication of the posts in PEIZIERE was a matter of some difficulty as by the time of the receipt of the order by the Companies the enemy was in occupation of EPEHY and firing in from the north. The withdrawal was made under heavy machine gun fire from the south east and north east and a considerable number of casualties were incurred during it. 3.30pm. Battalion reorganised in valley just north of LONGAVESNES and received orders to march to AIZECOURT LE HAUT. 6.00pm. Battalion arrived and went into camp. Men had a hot meal.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Only fifteen when the war started, so with the initial belief that “it would be all over by Christmas” William probably thought that he would never be involved. William was the elder son of Tom, a domestic gardener and Amy his wife, who was of the Cursley family – both having been born in Hallaton themselves. In 1911 the family was living in Skeffington with William and his brother attending the Tugby school. Nothing is really known about his life or work as a young man. The only thing that can be deduced from his service number 46974, is that he was almost certainly called to the colours on or around his eighteenth birthday either in December 1916 or early 1917 into the Leicestershire Regiment. He was posted to the 7th Battalion which was part of 110th Brigade of 21st Division, comprising three other battalions of the Tigers – 6th, 8th and 9th who fought together in France from July 1916 throughout the war. Unfortunately his service records have not survived but we do know from his rudimentary will that he was sent to France in early January 1918. Like all men departing for the Front, he made a simple will. Initially he saw limited action but all changed on 21st March with the German offensive known as Operation Michael or Kaiserschlacht, when they broke out from behind their well-constructed Hindenburg Defensive Line. At 04.30 they launched a huge barrage including phosgene gas and shrapnel. There was also thick fog and in the confusion the Germans managed to break through the battalion on the Leicester’s left. The battle see-sawed all day and into the evening. Under cover of darkness the Germans brought up their artillery. The battalion was ordered to withdraw behind the railway cutting demolishing the bridges as they went. The withdrawal was made under heavy machine gun fire with many casualties. One of those was Pte. William Charles Fox. He was only 19 years old. He is remembered on the war memorial at Hallaton; on a plaque in St Thomas a Becket Church in Skeffington and on the Pozières Memorial.

Information (including photograph) kindly provided by Dennis Kenyon.