Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William and Georgina West, and the husband of Edith Flossie West. The 1911 census records for 6, Leicestershire Lane, Great Bowden, Market Harborough, Leicestershire. William West, head of the family and married for 30 years, a Labourer, born 1847 in Great Bowden, Leics., and his wife Georgina, born 1851 in Great Bowden, Leics., also John, son, single and a Brewery Hand, born 1884, Alfred, son, single and a Labourer, born 1887 and George, son, single and a Labourer, born 1890, all three sons were born in Great Bowden, Leics. The War Diary for today records that the Battalion were in the Jean Devaux Wood sector. At 2.30am the Battalion moved direct to positions in S.1.d. and S.7.b. Very unpleasant journey owing to heavy rain, dense mist and heavy shelling of Holnon and St. Quentin Woods. Concentration area eventually reached about 7.30am, about 50 casualties having been sustained en route. Weather very bad. Quite impossible to ascertain what was happening forward for the time being as there was no communication except by runner, owing to the thick mist no messages received for several hours. At 11.30am orders received from Brigade to move to positions between road junction M.32.d. and Kirchner Copse M.33.b. and dig in facing Strong Point in S.3.c., S.4.d. which was still in possession of the enemy. 16th Infantry Brigade on left were reported to have been successful, and the object of the move was to protect the right flank of the Brigade from possible counter attack from the Strong Point. French troops on our right were also held up. At 12.30pm Battalion moved to new positions, heavy hostile shelling encountered causing a number of casualties, and the Battalion did not reach the new position until 4.00pm. Battalion HQ’s established at S.2.a. 30.20. At 7.00pm advice was received from Brigade that 2nd Sherwood Foresters and 9th Norfolk Regiment would make a further attack on the Quadrilateral, the Strong Point which had held up the attack in the morning. At 10.00pm 1 Company 11th Leicestershire Regiment (Pioneers) reported to assist the Battalion in digging in, in their new positions. Casualties, other ranks A Company 2 killed, 12 wounded. B Company 2 killed, 4 wounded. C Company 1 killed, 11 wounded. D Company 4 killed, 12 wounded. 2nd Lieutenant G Stevenson and Lieutenant T.O. -?- wounded.