On 20 June 1917, the name of W. Doley (number 240987) of the South Staffordshire Regiment, was included among a list of the wounded in the Express & Star. He does not appear among the casualties listed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, so he appears to have recovered from his wounds.

William James Doley was born in Wolverhampton in 1896, one of seven children of William and Jemima Doley. In 1901, they were living at 42 Bridge Street, Heath Town, Wolverhampton (although their surname was entered as Dooley). By 1911 they were living at 91 Willenhall Road, Heath Town, and William had became a warehouse man at a tube factory (possibly Weldless Tube in Wednesfield?). William married in 1914 to Maria Pearce. Unfortunately, she died a year later.

William enlisted in November 1914 in the 1st/6th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment, and his original service number was 3772. His trade was given as butcher and his address Lower Hall Street, Willenhall. He was posted to France on 5 March 1915. As well as a gun shot wound to the forearm in October 1915, his service record shows he was wounded twice more, in July 1916 and May 1917. He was discharged on 21st March 1919, as a lance sergeant, his address being 120 Bushbury Road, Heath Town, and was awarded a pension of 5/6d per week. He was awarded the Silver War Badge in September 1919, and was awarded the British War and Victory Medals.

After serving his country during the First World War, he married Lucy Perks in 1923, and they went on to have three children – Ivy, Olive and William – between 1924 and 1932. He died aged 49 in 1945.