William Moody was an organ builder in Oakham before the war, running his own company, Morton and Moody. He lived with his wife Florence at 5, Penn Street in the town. William was originally from Hull, where he was born on 22 December 1877. He joined the Royal Engineers on 29 December 1915 and served with 511th (London) Field Company. He was promoted to Lance Corporal the following September and went abroad on 3 January 1917. William saw action in both France and Belgium before being killed by a shell along with another soldier on 12 September 1917 while asleep in a dug out during the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). His Company had been erecting "4 small English shelters," according to its war diary which goes on to record "Killed: 2 OR [Other Ranks] Wounded: 3 OR (since died)." William was 39 and is buried at Duhallow ADS Cemetery, Ypres, grave I.C.26, and is remembered on Oakham's war memorial. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has his age as 41.