Major Booth - Army Service

Army Service

In World War I Booth joined the British Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 16 July 1915, having initially been a serjeant. He first served in Egypt from 22 December 1915 before being shipped to the Western Front.

On 1 July 1916 he went "over the top" near La Cigny on the Somme while serving with the 15th (Service) Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own), also known as "The Leeds Pals". He was followed a short while later by another wave of soldiers among whom was Abe Waddington (later also Yorkshire and England). Waddington was hit and found himself in a shell hole with Booth and held him until he died. Booth's body then remained there until the spring, when he was buried at Serre Road No 1 Cemetery.

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