Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Samuel Thomas Pougher, a shoe clicker, born 1863 in Welham, Leicestershire and his wife Isabella Pougher (nee Wholton, married in the 1st quarter of 1888 in the Leicester district), a shoe flowerer, born 1864 in Leicester. William Andrew was born in the 3rd quarter of 1889 in St. Mark’s, Leicester and was baptised on the 1st September 1889 in St. Mark’s Church, Leicester, he had one sibling, Grace Annie, born 1888 in Leicester and baptised on the 8th August 1888 in St. Mark’s Church, Leicester, in April 1891 the family home was at 25, Willow Street, Leicester. In March 1901 William was residing in the family home at 203, Grasmere Street, Leicester, together with his father, a gas labourer and his mother, a shoe machinist, flowering. In April 1911 William was absent from the family home at Hinckley Road, Sapcote, Leicestershire, residing there was his father, a quarry trade worker, his mother and siblings, Samuel Thomas, born 1902 in Leicester and baptised on the 6th September 1902 in St. Andrew’s Church, Leicester and Bryan Edward, born 11th November 1905 in Sapcote and baptised on the 17th December 1905 in the Parish Church, Sapcote, William was serving with the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment as a Private and was stationed at Fort Saint George, Madras, India. William was the nephew of A. D. Pougher the famous Leicestershire cricketer. William was educated at Holy Trinity School, Leicester. He enlisted in the 2nd Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment in 1908, and served in India for six years, he was drafted direct to France on the outbreak of war in August 1914, where he was killed in action. Sergeant W. Andrews wrote that, “Corporal Pougher was his best scout, and right hand man.” William was unmarried. William’s sister Grace died in 1900 in Hinckley, Leicestershire aged 12, his mother died in July 1914 in Hinckley, aged 50 and his father died on the 10th January 1925 in Hinckley, aged 61.
William’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted into the Leicestershire Regiment in 1908, being allotted the service number 8395, and was posted as a Private to the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment serving for six years in India, at the outbreak of war he sailed with his Battalion to join the British Expeditionary Force where he first entered the theatre of war in France on the 12th October 1914. He was awarded the 1914 STAR, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The War Diary records: 27 Jul-15 - Distribution as for previous days except that 26 men from the Reserves were sent to front line. Enemy quiet except for occasionally sniping. Our snipers accounted for 5 Germans from working parties during the day. 2nd Lieutenant C. N. COPEMAN was wounded in the wrist and 8395 Corporal W. POUGHER was killed while out on patrol in front of our lines.
On Tuesday August 3rd 1915 The Leicester Journal published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – LOCAL CASUALTIES.- Mrs. A. Elson, 262, Tudor-road, has received news from a comrade of the death of her nephew, “somewhere in France,” Corpl. W. A. POUGHER, 2nd Leicestershire Regiment. He was in India six years with his battalion and came over with the Indian Expeditionary Force. His father lives at Sapcote.