Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Brigham Byass a farmer, born 1851 in Huggate, Yorkshire, and his wife Annie Byass (nee Johnson, married on the 26th October 1876 in Old Malton, Yorkshire), born 1852 in Norton, Yorkshire, and who was the daughter of William Johnson. William was born in the 2nd quarter of 1885 in East Heslerton, Yorkshire, his siblings were, Charles Johnson, born 1879 in West Heslerton, Yorkshire, Annie Jane, born 1880, Mary, born 1882 and Robert Brigham, born 1883, the latter three siblings were all born in East Heslerton, in April 1891 the family home was at Thorpe Bassett, Yorkshire. On the 5th July 1892, in the Yorkshire district, William’s father died aged 41. In March 1901 William was absent from the family home at St. Peters Street, Norton, Malton, Yorkshire, residing there was his widowed mother, living on her own means and his brother Robert, a grocer’s assistant, William was employed as a domestic groom and was residing as a servant at 16, Commercial Street, Norton, Yorkshire. In April 1911 William was employed as a groom and was residing as a boarder at Rounton, Northallerton, Yorkshire. William married Mary Lizzy Goodbourne in the 1st quarter of 1915 in the Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire district. Mary was born in 1891 in Nether Broughton, Leicestershire.
The War Diary records: 21 Aug-15 – LALA BABA. Move out from LALA BABA at 3.00pm. Meet heavy shrapnel fire on the open ground in our advance on CHOCOLATE HILL, losing some 170 all told. Fighting continues till 1.30am when we are withdrawn to LALA BABA again.
The War Diary records: 22 Aug-15 – LALA BABA. Collecting casualty lists, 1 officer killed, 7 wounded, 170 men killed and wounded. I have orders to return to CHOCOLATE HILL in the morning.
On Friday September 24th 1915 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “DISTRICT WAR ITEMS.” – OLD DALBY SOLDIER MISSING. – Pte. W. Byass (Old Dalby), of the Royal Bucks Hussars, is reported missing from his regiment since the 21st August.