Andrew Behan has kindly carried out some research on this man:
Acting Corporal William Leonard York was born on 30 March 1886 in St John's Wood, London, the 3rd of five sons of William York and Jane York nèe Taylor. His father was a House Painter and Decorator. He was baptised on 24 April 1886 at St Jude's Church, Kensal Green and the family were living at 118 Fifth Avenue, London, W.10. The 1891 census shows the family at 131 Herries Street, Queens Park. In late 1892 his mother died and his father remarried on 28 October 1893 at West Hampstead parish church to a Jeannie Anderson Miller. They lived at 123 Sumatra Road, Queens Park.
The 1901 census shows his family at 61 Broomsleigh Street, West Hampstead and his occupation is shown as a Telegraph Messenger. British Postal Service Appointment Books show he was appointed as an Assistant Postman in March 1904 in West London and this is confirmed in the London Gazette dated 8 April 1904. In August 1904 he was promoted to the grade of Postman in London's Western District Office. On 23 April 1910 he married Lilas Wilkins Smith at St John's Congregational Church in Croydon, Surrey and the 1911 census shows them living at 153 Northborough Road, Norbury. On 17 September 1911 their son, William Andrew Smith York, was born.
De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour (our picture source) states that in September 1914 he was a Post Office official the Western District Office and when recruits were called from that department immediately volunteered and joined the Post Office Rifles. He was a private in the 1st/8th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles) and his service number was 2482 and entered France on 18 March 1915. Promoted to Acting Corporal, he was killed in action, aged 29 years, on 24 May 1915 and was buried in Grave 1.E.14. at the Post Office Rifles Cemetery, Festubert, Pas-de-Calais, France.
On 4 December 1915 administration of his estate, totalling £256-17s-6d, was granted to his widow and on 19 January 1916 she was also sent his army effects totalling £1-14s-11d. She remarried in 1917 to a Frederick James Bunn but died on 14 April 1919 so that when the £4-0s-0d war gratuity to whom the the family were entitled was awarded on 19 May 1919 it was not immediately paid. Eventually on 15 November 1922 a sum of £2-13-4d was paid to the guardian of his son, a Mrs A. C Pressley. The balance of £1-6s-8d was retained by the government. He was posthumously awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
