Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Harry Herbert Gibbs, born 26th March 1861 in Whitwick, Leicestershire and his wife Harriett Gibbs, (nee Wood, formerly Cooper, married on the 11th December 1888 in the Parish Church, Shepshed), born 1855 in Shepshed, Leicestershire. William Henry Herbert was born 24th June 1896 in Shepshed and was baptised on the 2nd August 1896 in the Parish Church, Shepshed. In March 1901 William was residing in the family home at Leicester Road, Shepshed, together with his mother and siblings, Doris Elaine, born 9th July 1890 and Philip Eric Wood, born 14th September 1897, both his siblings were born in Shepshed, also residing in the family home was William’s widowed maternal Grandmother, Harriett Wood, born 1828 in Loughborough, Leicestershire. In April 1911 William was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at Leicester Road, Shepshed, together with his father, a retired builder’s merchant, his mother and siblings, Doris and Philip, a schoolboy. William also had an older sibling, Ethel May, born 1889 in Shepshed, who died in January 1894 in Shepshed, age 3
William’s mother Harriett Wood married Charles Alfred Cooper, a surgeon, born 1851 in Jamaica, on the 10th July 1880 in the Parish Church, Shepshed, from this union they had the following children, William Saunderson Cooper, born in the 2nd quarter of 1881, Charles Alfred Cooper, born in the 3rd quarter of 1882, James Askey Cooper, born in the 4th quarter of 1883 and Frank Adams Cooper, born in the 1st quarter of 1885, all the children were born in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. Harriett’s husband Charles died in the 4th quarter of 1884 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire age 33.
William’s mother died on the 29th February 1932 in Shepshed age 77 and his father died on the 8th March 1949 in Shepshed, age 87.
William’s Army enlistment documents were not researched, and as such all that is known of his military service is that he was commissioned into the Army Service Corps, and was posted as a 2nd Lieutenant to the 329th Siege Battery, Ammunition Column, first entering the theatre of war in France on the 13th May 1917. He was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry together with the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday July 27th, 1917

SECOND-LIEUTENANT GIBBS WOUNDED

2nd-Lieutenant W. H. H. Gibbs, of the Army Service Corps, wounded in the arm on July 16th, is the fifth son of Mr and Mrs H. H. Gibbs of Shepshed, whose six sons are all in the Army. Two have been wounded and one “gassed.”

Coalville Times article - Friday November 2nd, 1917

LOCAL CASUALTIES

SHEPSHED OFFICER GAINS THE MILITARY CROSS

Second-Lieutenant W. H. H. Gibbs of the A.S.C., eldest son of Mr H. H. Gibbs, of Shepshed, has been awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. This young officer has only been in the Army about twelve months. He was educated at the Loughborough Grammar School.

Coalville Times article - Friday February 8th, 1918.

DO YOU KNOW THAT

Second-Lieutenant W. H. H. Gibbs, recently awarded the Military Cross, has been presented with a sword by the members and friends of the Shepshed Detachment of the Volunteer Force?

Coalville Times article - Friday August 30th, 1918

LOCAL CASUALTIES

News has been received of the death in action in France of Second-Lieutenant W. H. H. Gibbs, A.S.C. which took place on the 21st last. Deceased was one of six brothers, who have all been with the Colours. Two have been discharged. The last time the whole of them were at home together was on Sunday, October 16th, 1916. Lieutenant Gibbs was 22 years of age, and was the fifth son of Mr and Mrs H. H. Gibbs, of Forest House, Shepshed. He joined up in July, 1916, and was awarded the Military Cross in October, 1917, for taking shells up to the battery under heavy fire. Captain A. Gordon Laws, A.S.C. in a letter received by Mr and Mrs Gibbs on the 27th inst. says, “You will have heard by this of the sad news of your son’s death. Well, I am his immediate commanding officer, and I can say that during the 34 years of my life nothing has ever appealed to me so much. He has earned his Military Cross several times over, and is absolutely irreplaceable. He was putting a gun into a forward position last night, and was killed instantaneously by a shell. It is needless to say more, except that he can never be replaced by any officer within my experience. He is a loss to his brother officers, his men, and everyone with him whom he came in contact. We buried him this afternoon, and I am having a cross made for him. No more is possible. August 22nd, 1918.”

Research undertaken and submitted by Andy Murby 30/11/2017