Major Booth

Major William Booth, better known as William Booth, (born 10 December 1886 in Lowtown, Pudsey, Yorkshire, England; died 1 July 1916 near La Cigny, France) was a cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1908 and 1914, a season in which he was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. His international career was restricted to playing for England in the 1913-14 tour of South Africa, which was the last Test match tour before the First World War. After receiving a battlefield commission, Booth was known as Second Lieutenant Major Booth, and died soon afterwards when he went over the top on the trenches on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Somme offensive.

Death

On 1 July 1916 he went "over the top" followed a short while later by another wave of soldiers one of whom was Abe Waddington (later also Yorkshire and England). Waddington was hit and found himself in a shell hole with Booth and held him till he died. Booth's body then remained there until the spring, when he was buried at Serre Road No 1 Cemetery.

Related Topics:
1 July 1916 - Abe Waddington

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