C.S.M. H. BILL
--------------
Born: Q4 1885 Bridgnorth RD Horace Benjamin Bill [GRO]
mar: Q4 1907 Birmingham Frank Horace B Bill & Alice Jane Harley [GRO only Bill/Alice mar 1900-1916]
[1901] Eardington: Watkin W Bill, h, 52, Ordinary Agricultural Labourer, Claverley.
			Harriet, w, M, 53, Tipton.
			Ernest W, son, s, 17, Waggoner on farm, Eardington. [Bapt Quatford 19 Apr 1884 parents Watkin William & Harriet.]
			Frank H, son, s, 15, Yardman on farm, Eardington.			
[1911] 279 Icknield Street, Hockley, Birmingham: Horace Bill, 25, M, Carter, GWR Railway, Bridgnorth 
						Alice, 27, w, mar 3 yrs b Bridgnorth 

BILL, H
Rank: Company Serjeant Major
Service No: 12083
Date of Death: 01/07/1916
Regiment/Service: Devonshire Regiment 9th Bn.
Grave Reference A. 1.
Cemetery DEVONSHIRE CEMETERY, MAMETZ
Additional Information: Husband of A. J. Bill, of 4, Pound St., Bridgnorth, Salop [CWGC]

Historical Information
Mametz was within the German lines until 1 July 1916 when it was captured by the 7th Division, and Mametz Wood, north-east of the village, was cleared on the days following 7 July. 
The 8th and 9th Battalions of the Devonshire Regiments, which were part of the 7th Division, attacked on 1 July 1916 from a point on the south-west side of Albert-Maricourt road, due south of Mametz village, by a plantation called Mansel Copse. On 4 July they returned this location and established a cemetery, burying their dead in a section of their old front line trench. All but two of the burials belong to these battalions.
Devonshire Cemetery contains 163 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, ten of which are unidentified.
The cemetery was designed by W H Cowlishaw.

Name:	Horace Bill
Birth Place:	Bridgnorth, Salop
Death Date:	1 Jul 1916		[first day of Somme (1916) Battle of Albert]
Death Location:	France & Flanders
Enlistment Location:	Birmingham
Rank:	C.S.M.
Regiment:	Devonshire Regiment
Battalion:	9th (Service) Battalion
Number:	12083
Type of Casualty:	Killed in action
Theatre of War:	Western European Theatre [UK Soldiers Died]

Ancestry Trees Watkins tree of megatom gives name as Horace Benjamin Bill, married to Alice Jane Harley. 
[Medal card] Bill Horace: Devon R Sgt (A/CSM) 12083 A/WO2 12083 V&B&15 K in A 1/7/16 France 27/7/15
Aug 1915 to Sept 1918 20th Bde 7th Div.
1915
The Battle of Loos
The Division took part in the initial assault north of the Vermelles-Hulluch road, facing the Quarries and a series of strongpoints. Suffering badly from British cloud gas - which was not moved sufficiently by the gentle breeze - and badly cut up by German machine gun fire and artillery, the Division nonethless seized the Quarries and only failed to penetrate the third German line due to the relative weakness of the numbers of men that got through. The Divisional Commander, Major-General Thompson Capper, died of wounds received during this action.
1916
The Battle of Albert* in which the Division captured Mametz 
The battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916