William Moorwood Staniforth (1884-1917)

Service No: 1608 Secondary Regiment Queen’s Own Yorkshire Dragoons Yeomanry

Second Lieutenant William Moorwood Staniforth, Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was killed in a flying accident in Coventry on 23rd March 1917. Born in Hackenthorpe, near Sheffield, on 25th October 1884, he was the youngest of five children born to William and Sarah Hannah Moorwood.

 

William Moorwood’s father was a scythe and sickle manufacturer at Messrs Staniforth and Sons, Hackenthorpe, established in the mid-18th century and one of the largest scythe and sickle manufacturers in England. The 1881 census notes that William Staniforth employed 100 hands at his works, although he subsequently appeared in the Bankruptcy Court in 1893, with stated liabilities of £1,425 1s 3d and assets of £258 19s 4d.  He was described at the time as a retired scythe and sickle maker of The Terrace, Beighton.

William Moorwood joined the Queen’s Own Yorkshire Dragoons in 1903, and was a Sergeant in the Sheffield troop, receiving the Territorial Long Service decoration. He went out to the Front in 1915, and was gazetted Second Lieutenant in December 1915.  In June 1916, he married Gladys Burrows.

1st July 1916

WEDDING.
Mr. W. M. Staniforth, of the Queen’s Own Yorks Dragoons, was married on Saturday at Beaconsfield (Bucks.), Parish Church, to Miss Gladys Burrows second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. Burrows, form of Sheffield and Lincoln. The bridegroom was for several years prior to the outbreak of the war sergeant of the Sheffield troop. With them he was on active service in France and Flanders up to December, 1915, He wears the Territorial Long Service decoration. He was gazetted to a reserve squadron in January last. Rev. A. S. Commeline, rector of Beaconsfield, formerly of York, was the officiating clergyman.

Yorkshire Post Group

Intensely interested in flying, Second Lieutenant Staniforth volunteered in October 1916 for the Royal Flying Corps, passing his aviation certificate in a Maurice Farman biplane at the Military School, Ruislip on 11th December 1916. At the time, his address was given as Rivelm, Beaconsfield, Bucks. It appears that he was subsequently posted to the 28th Reserve Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, Castle Bromwich. On 23rd March 1917, he lunched with his wife only a few hours before his fatal flying accident:

Coventry Standard 30th March 1917

23.3.17	R.E.8 A3454, 28 RS, Castle Bromwich
	Nose dived and crashed, Castle Bromwich
	2Lt William Moorwood Staniforth (32) killed

Probate records give his address as The Forge, Castle Bromwich, and state that his death took place at Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry. He is buried in the graveyard opposite St Mary and St Margaret Church, Castle Bromwich.

He is also remembered on the headstone of his father in law’s grave at Beaconsfield Cemetery.