b. 05/03/1881 Birmingham. d. 28/05/1940 Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
William Amey (1881-1940) was born on the 5th March 1881 at Mount Street, Aston, Birmingham. His father, Charles Henry Amey, originally from Heybridge, Essex, was a messenger. He married Elizabeth Callan (nee Parry or West) on 19th April 1858 at Aston Juxta, Warwickshire. Elizabeth had been previously married to James Callan (d. 1855), an engine driver, from Lancashire. James and Elizabeth had five children – Maria, Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary Ann and George. Elizabeth died in 1862, and Charles remarried Elizabeth Clark on 7th November 1864 at St Peter’s & St Paul’s Church, Aston, where she was born. Charles was now working as a railway carriage fitter. William had seven siblings.
Very little is known about William’s early life. He was a brass worker in 1901, living with his parents. By 1911, he was a chandelier maker for Verity’s Ltd, electrical manufacturers at their Plume works in Aston, living with his mother.
WilliamAmeyVC MM
William enlisted in 1/8th Royal Warwickshire in Birmingham, possibly in May 1915, and was promoted lance corporal. It is not known when he went to France but it was after 31st December 1915 because he was not entitled to the 1914-15 Star. The 1/8th Royal Warwickshire went to France on 22nd March 1915, so it is likely William served in 2/8th Battalion, which formed in October 1914 at Birmingham. It moved to Northampton then Chelmsford and in March 1916 to Salisbury Plain, prior to deploying to France in May. It is not known if William was with them, as no service record survives for him.
All hostilities ended on 11th November 1918 and Landrécies turned out to be the Battalion’s last action of the War. Everyone knew the end was coming. The Allies had broken free from trench warfare and were advancing across open country in fire and manoeuvre. With the end so close, would you be tempted to hold back, to be a bit more cautious? It would be perfectly understandable. But Amey did not hold back.
75th Brigade was tasked to seize Landrécies in order to secure the bridgehead to cross the River Sambre. The 1/8th Battalion was on the left flank opposite the small hamlet of Faubourg Sayer. At 6.15am on the 4th November 1918, the battalion attacked – and promptly met stiff opposition. After a very severe firefight, they broke through and secured their objective, the lock on the River Sambre at Landrecies. It was during this battle, that newly promoted Corporal William Amey was awarded his VC.
Lance-Corporal Amey led his section against a machine-gun nest under heavy fire and drove the garrison into a neighbouring farm, finally capturing 50 prisoners and several machine-guns. Later, single-handed and under heavy fire he attacked a machine-gun post in a farmhouse, killed two of the garrison and drove the remainder into a cellar until assistance arrived. Subsequently he rushed a strongly held post, capturing 20 more prisoners. Amey’s gallantry enabled Faubourg Sayer to be captured, the Battalion to reach their objective, the lock on the Canal, and thus save many British lives. They then continued the advance.
Within a week, before the guns fell silent on 11 November, William was awarded the MM (Military Medal). This was the OR equivalent to today’s MC, awarded now to all ranks. And once No 4 in order of precedence. In WW1 awards of the MM did not attract a citation, so we do not know the circumstances. But the MM was only awarded for “exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land.” So, within a week, Corporal Amey displayed two acts of tremendous courage.
After the end of the War the Battalion was billeted at Le Cateau with training, parades and fatigue duties, before being employed on salvage work in Cambrai. You can feel the tedium and boredom and the men’s wanting to get home. During February 1919, 1/8 Battalion was disbanded and finally demobilised at Birmingham on the 1st August 1919, almost 5 years to the day that it was formed. William received his VC from King George V in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace on 22nd February 1919.
After the war, we don’t know much about his employment other than a spell as a Turf Commission Agent in Leamington Spa. William was a prominent member of the British Legion. He attended the VC Garden Party of 1920 at Buckingham Palace and the 1929 VC Dinner at the House of Lords. He received the George VI Coronation Medal of 1937.
Almost 20 years after the war, in the autumn of 1938, William Amey married Evelyn “Eve” Haines in Edmonton, Essex. They came to Leamington and lived at 13 Willes Road, naming the house ‘Landrécies’ after the place where he won his VC. They had no children.
Sadly, only 18 months later, at the age of 59, William died on the 28th May 1940 at Warneford Hospital, Leamington Spa. His funeral was attended by two other VC holders in Arthur Hutt VC and Henry Tandey VC. He was buried with full Military Honours in All Saints Cemetery, Brunswick Street Leamington Spa. The cemetery was cleared years later, and William’s remains as well as another VC recipient in Charles Goodfellow VC were moved to Leamington Spa Cemetery, Tachbrook Road. The grave was refurbished by the VC and GC Association with support from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the Regimental Association in Warwickshire. A service of rededication was held on 21st August 2022, attended by regimental representatives , Vincent Montgomery, the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, and several council members from Warwick District Council. William is commemorated in several places – Amey Accommodation Block at Catterick Barracks, a blue plaque at his former home at 13 Willes Road, Leamington, and a VC commemorative stone at the Hall of Memory in Birmingham unveiled on 7th December 2015.
In addition to his VC and MM, he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 and George VI Coronation Medal 1937. The medals were sold by his widow for £650 at Sotheby’s on 29th July 1963. They were purchased by Lieutenant Colonel Lewthwaite on behalf of the Friends of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and were presented to the Regiment on 20th September. The medal group is held by the Royal Warwickshire Regiment Museum in Warwick.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE REGIMENT MUSEUM, WARWICK.
BURIAL PLACE: LEAMINGTON SPA CEMETERY, WARWICKSHIRE.
SECTION 68, GRAVE 11.
