William Casey was born in Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland.
In April 1906 he enlisted in the Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers), service number 9189. After seven years he was discharged and placed on the Army Reserve for 5 years. He married Emily Taylor (1886-1956) in the 4th quarter of 1911 in the Hampstead registration district, London and they had one son, Patrick James Casey (1912-1972) who was born on 19 October 1912 in Willesden.
He was appointed in May 1914 as a postman in the London (West) Postal Region.
When World War One was declared he was recalled to his old regiment, initially as a Lance Corporal and was attached to the regiment's 1st Battalion. He entered France on 22 August 1914 and held the rank of Serjeant when he was killed in action on 12 October 1916 in the attack on Rainy Trench and Dewdrop Trench, Lesbœufs, France. He was buried near to where he fell.
His army effects totalling £7-11s-9d were sent to his widow on 7 June 1917. On 5 September 1919 his body was exhumed and was reburied in Plot 6, Row U, Grave 3, in the Guards' Cemetery, Lesbœufs, France. On 15 October 1919 his widow, who had remarried on 28 February 1919 to a soldier called George Leonard Spears (1886-1952), was sent his £15-10s-0d war gratuity. He was posthumously awarded the 1914 Star with the '5th Aug.-22nd Nov. 1914' Clasp, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'CASEY, W.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website and on Page 64 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
