William Henry Rogers was born Harry William Norris on 12 April 1894 in Wrotham Heath. He was the illegitimate son of a domestic servant named Christina ‘Chrissie’ Norris and baptised in Wrotham Parish Church on 2 December. The following year, Chrissie married a farm worker named Henry George Rogers, who may or may not have been the father of her son. Either way, young Harry took the Rogers surname, and the family lived on Windmill Hill. By 1905, he had become the elder brother to Edward, Ellen, Lily and Maggie and attended Platt School, after which he joined his father labouring on a local farm.

In the absence of surviving service papers, exactly when William joined the Army is unknown; however, based on the amount of war gratuity awarded after his death, he probably enlisted in Woolwich during August 1914, where he joined the 2nd Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own.)

On 6 October 1916, Harry married Lily Manser at the parish church in Swanscombe and lived with her at an end-terraced property at 54 Swanscombe Street.

William had almost certainly arrived at the Western Front by the start of 1918, where, on 21 March, the German Army launched a series of attacks known as the Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser’s Battle) and after making significant progress, by late April, and having suffered a considerable amount of casualties, any gains they had made were now precarious. An Allied counter-attack in the summer would prove disastrous for the German Army.

When the offensive began, William’s unit was training in Tilques; however, they quickly mobilised the following day and marched to Arques where they entrained for Rosières-en-Santerre on the Somme. Upon arrival on the 23rd, the battalion marched to Chaulnes, before travelling by lorry to Morchain, where they opened out into artillery formation and advanced on Pargny. While crossing the high ground situated above the river, they came under heavy shell fire and managed to take over an area north of Pargny Bridge and to the south of Fontaine Les Pargny. Shortly before midnight, a German patrol succeeded in rushing the bridgehead, penetrating the British line. The Rifles successfully counter-attacked but lost five officers and 60 other ranks during the action.

At some point between the 23rd and 31st, William was killed in action. His body was either never recovered or later identified, and he is commemorated on the Pozières Memorial at Ovillers-la-Boiselle.

His family would remember him as a very loving and remarkable man who would always be happy to accommodate people if they needed advice or help. In the years following the war, his relatives would actively participate in the annual Remembrance Day Ceremony held at the Platt War Memorial.