On 3rd December 1918, less than a month after the end of World War 1 Private William Verity Hart passed away as a result of injuries sustained during his service with 10th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Aged 21 at the time of his death, Billy had enlisted in 1915 and had been discharged from duty in June 1917 due the effects of mustard gas.
Billy was the only son of Joseph and Ellen Hart of Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. Before joining the army he had worked in the coal mines starting as a Pit Pony driver age 14. He had five sisters one of whom was my grandmother who made sure he was remembered by her family
Not much is recorded about his war record other than he was awarded a Silver War Badge
An interesting postscript is that in early 2021 a local war veteran who had been walking through the Kingsway Cemetery in Kirkby in Ashfield noticed that Billy’s grave had been damaged and had contacted the Commonwealth War Graves Commission who have committed to replace it
Our company has made a donation to this years Poppy Appeal in memory of Billy