~ Families & People ~
Wartime Memorial
LOWER GORNAL World War One ~ World War Two    •    UPPER GORNAL World War One ~ World War Two
Lest We Forget
LOWER GORNAL
The Great War 1914 - 1918
A memorial was added to the frontage to the Memorial Hall, Lower Gornal in 1929
The Memorial lists 70 of the Gornal men who have lost their lives in the Great War (1914-1918), many local family names are obvious in the list below.
F. Amphlett T. Cooper W. Hughes T.C. Shaw
T.W. Baker S. Cox J. Hyde B. Simmons
G.T. Bishop W. Cox S. Hyde E. Simmons
W. Blackham T.V. Dann J. Jeavons W.W. Simmons
G. Bowen E. Evans B.C.K. Job A. Smith
F.F. Bowyer H. Greenway J. Jones W.B. Smith
A. Bradley A. Guest J.H. Jones C. Southall
D. Bradley W. Gutteridge W.A. Jones C. Timmins
S. Bradley A. Hale J. Jordan J. Timmins
C. Bradshaw W.E. Hale W.T. Lucas M.M. J.T. Timmins
L. Brookes J. Harries S. Malpass I. Tomlinson
W. Burrows M. Hickin W.H. Nock B. Wasdell
A. Clarke A. Hickman G, Painter J. Westwood
H. Clarke M.M. J. Hickman D. Parkes C.S. Whorton
J. Clarke T. Hill W.H. Parkes J. Whorton
A. Collins I. Hopson T. Phipps J.W. Wilkes
W.H. Collins W.H. Hopson W. Powers F.J. Worton
T. Abbiss. A.E. Westwood.
Thomas Abbiss, Mary Ann with their daughter Beatrice Maud.
Thomas Abbiss.
36566 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Died on 4th March 1917, aged 27 years.
Son of Thomas and Mary Ann Abbiss, of Straits Road, Lower Gornal; husband of Mary Ann Abbiss (formerly Beardsmore), of 91 Himley Road, Lower Gornal.
[Thiepval Memorial, France. Pier and Face 5A and 6C.]
Thomas was killed in action on the Somme, his body was never recovered.
Frederick Amphlett.
44355 Private; Suffolk Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
Died on 27th September 1918, aged 32 years.
Husband of Sarah Ann Amphlett (formerly Fones), of 27 East Street, Lower Gornal.
[Flesquieres British Cemetery, France. II.B.2]
Thomas William Baker.
20716 Private; Genadier Guards, No. 2 Coy. 4th Battalion.
Died on 22nd September 1916, aged 21 years.
Son of Henry and Mary Elizabeth Baker of Cherry Lane, Himley. Husband of Phoebe Ann Baker (formerly Jones), of 6 The Alley, Straits Road, Lower Gornal.
[St. Pierre Cemetery, Amiens, Somme, France. III.D.4]
George Thomas Bishop.
24123 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 4th Battalion.
Died on 3rd July 1917.
Son of John and Rose Ellen Bishop. Husband of Leah Bishop (formerly Westwood) of Lower Gornal.
[Longuenesse, (St. Omar), Souvenir Cemetery, France, IV. C. 53.]
William Blackham.
36027 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 4th Battalion.
Died on 26th April, 1918.
Also named on the Upper Gornal Memorial.
[Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. Panel 90 to 92]
Granville Bowen.
15950 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st/6th Battalion.
Died on 27th May 1918, aged 27 years.
Son of Edward and Ann Bowen, of 2 Smithy Lane, Pensnett.
[Etaples Military Cemetery, France. LXVIII.D.29]
Private Frank Bowyer.
photo courtesy S.Hough
Frank Fellows Bowyer.
35205 Private; King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 7th Battalion.
Died on 7th October 1916, aged 22 years.
Son of Joseph Richard and Susan Bowyer, 3 Abbey Street, Gornal Wood
[Bancourt British Cemetery, France, Grave VIII. C. 15]
Arthur Bradley.
38134 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 2nd/6th Battalion.
Died on 5th December 1917, age 21 years.
Son of Joseph and Charlotte Bradley, of 89 Summer Lane, Gornal Wood.
[St. Sever Cemetery extension, France. P.V.G.8B]
David Bradley
29528 Lance Corporal; Yorkshire Regiment, 13th Battalion.
Died on 11th July 1917, age 25 years.
Son of Thomas and Lydia Bradley, of 83 Broad Street, Wallbrook, Coseley and of 28 Brook Street, Lower Gornal.
[Fins New British Cemetery, Sorel-le-Grand, France, I. B. 13.]
Samuel Bradley.
19541 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Died on 1st July 1917.
Son of Abraham and Phoebe Bradley of 20 East Street, Lower Gornal.
[Arras Memorial, France. Bay 6.]
Charles Bradshaw.
5242/241728 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st/6th battalion.
Died on 4th July 1917, age 30 years.
Son of William Henry and Charlotte Henrietta Bradshaw.
[Choques Military Cemetery, France. I, L, 21]
Charles Bradshaw was originally from Barrow in Furnace, Lancashire, he was step-son of William Hale and lived with him at the Wagon and Horses Inn, Lower Gornal in 1901, during the next few years he stayed with other Hale family members at Gornal.
He was employed as a brickyard labourer before the war.
Private Bradshaw was severely wounded during fighting on the outskirts of Lens on 1 July 1917 and died of his wounds.
Leonard Brookes.
235028 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Died on 17th August 1917, age 19 years.
Son of Charlotte Brookes, of 4 Chase Road, Lower Gornal.
[Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium]
William John Burrows.
4355 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 2nd/7th Battalion.
Died on 17th July 1916, age 19 years.
Son of William and Eliza Jane Burrows, of 40 Brook Street, Gornal Wood.
[Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, France. IV. A. 8.]
Arthur Clarke.
241651 Private; King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1st/5th Battalion.
Died on 26th July 1917, age 25 years.
Son of Henry and Elizabeth Clarke, of 26 Brook Street, Lower Gornal; husband of Minnie Clarke, of 27 Prince of Wales Terrace, Pontefract.
[Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport, France. V.L.5B]
Private Henry Clarke.
photo courtesy S.Hough
Henry Clarke.
Military Medal, 26/05/1917.
201857 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 2/7th Battalion.
Died on 24th August 1917, age 20 years.
Son of Mr & Mrs. Henry 'Harry' Clarke of 39 Brook Street, Lower Gornal.
He worked at Baggeridge Colliery before the war.
[Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium. XVIII. A. 11A.]
Joseph Clarke.
16597 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 2nd/5th Battalion.
Died on 26th September, 1917.
Son of Benjamin Clarke, of Ruiton Street, Lower Gornal.
[Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium, Panel 90 to 92.]
Alfred Collins.
9508 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 8th Battalion.
Died on 2nd July 1916.
Son of John and Emily Collins, of 22 Hopyard Lane, Lower Gornal.
[Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers-La Boisselle, France. Sp. Mem. C. 2.]
Alfred and William Henry in next entry were brothers.
William Henry Collins.
46248 Private; Royal Scots, 11th Battalion.
Died on 20th June 1918, age 22 years.
Son of John and Emily Collins, Lower Gornal; husband of Mary Jane Collins (formerly Raybould), of 41 Himley Road, Gornal Wood.
[Meteran Military Cemetery, France. V.B.584]
A family story recalls that, as he was newly married, he overstayed his leave and on his return to the trenches he was sent out on the very unpopular night patrol into no man's land and was shot by a sniper. [GW]
Thomas Cooper.
21772 Guardsman; Grenadier Guards, 4th Battalion.
Died on 29th September 1916.
Son of Thomas and Sarah Ann Cooper, of 15 Bird Street, Lower Gornal.
[St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France]
Samuel Cox.
21306 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 4th Battalion.
Died on 6th August 1915.
Born 20 September 1876, killed at Gallipoli.
Husband of Elizabeth Cox (formerly Timmins) m.1903.
Previous to enlisting, Samuel was a miner at Baggeridge colliery.
[Helles Memorial, Turkey. Panel 104 to 113]
Walter Cox.
3818 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st/6th Battalion.
Died on 13th October 1915, age 28 years.
Son of Thomas and Mary Cox, of Brook Street, Gornal Wood; husband of Mary Anne Cox (formerly Nicholls), of 7 Rock Street, Upper Gornal.
[Loos Memorial, France. 73-76]
1915: Birmingham Daily Gazette, 1 November.
DUDLEY OFFICER KILLED.
Lieutenant T.V. Dann, Lower Gornal, Dudley, has been killed in action in France. Deceased joined the South Staffords in September last year aa a private. His promotion was rapid, and was gazetted a second-lieutenant two months ago. It is less than a year ago that he married the daughter the late Mr. Thomas Gould, solicitor, Petworth House, Lower Gornal.
Tom Vincent Dann.
2nd Leutenant; South Staffordshire Regiment, 6th Battalion.
Died on 13th October 1915.
[Loos Memorial, France. Panel 73 to 76.]
Tom Dann was mortally wounded during his battalion’s attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt. Before military service he had worked at Gibbons' as a Gas Engineer.
Tom married Ethel Eliza Gould of Petworth House, Lower Gornal in 1914.
Ernest Evans.
171570 Private; Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 33rd Battaion.
Died on 6th November 1918, age 20 years.
Son of Francis and Eliza Ann Evans, of "Avondale", Red Hall Road, Gornal Wood.
[Locquignol Communal Cemetery, France. (West of Calvary)]
Thomas Henry 'Harry' Greenway.
100781 Bombardier; Royal Field Artillery, "C" Bty. 114th Bde.
Died on 2nd November 1917, age 22 years.
Son of Thomas and Maria Greenway, of Gornal Wood.
[Sarigol Military Cemetery, Kriston, Greece. D. 568]
Walter Gutteridge
courtesy of S.Hough
Asa Guest.
LY/467(S) Private; Royal Marine Light Infantry; 2nd R.M. Battalion. R.N. Div.
Died on 28th April 1917, age 27 years.
Son of Ezer and Rebecca Guest, of 95 Graveyard Road, Lower Gornal.
[Arras Memorial, France]
Walter Gutteridge.
23627 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 2nd battalion.
Died on 26th January 1917, age 40 years.
Son of John and Jane Gutteridge, of 85 Himley Road, Lower Gornal.
[Arras Memorial, France]
Arthur Hale.
3705 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 3rd Battalion.
Died on 3rd September 1918.
Son of Isaac Hale of Gornal Wood.
Of 3 Ruiton Street, Lower Gornal
[Rue-Des-Berceaux, Military Cemetery, Richebourg -L’avoue]
William Ewart Hale.
21959 Private; Coldstream Guards, 3rd Battalion.
Died on 25th March 1918, age 19 years.
Son of David and Mary Ann Hale, of 9 Bank Road, Lower Gornal.
[Arras Memorial, France]
John Harries.
24662 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 8th Battalion.
P.O.W. in 1917, he suffered a serious gun shot wound to the head and was repatriated in January 1918, later discharged from the army as no longer physically fit and returned home. He died in 1922 as a result of his injury.
Son of John and Emily Harries, of 27 Lake Street, Lower Gornal
Mark Hickin.
306704 Private; Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment), 2nd/7th Battalion.
Died on 24th May 1917, age 25 years.
Son of Thomas and Fanny Hickin, of 86 Himley Road, Lower Gornal.
[St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France. P.I.G.11B]
Amos Hickman.
1796 Gunner; Royal Field Artillery, 4th (Staffs.) Bty. 3rd (North Midland) Bde..
Died on 25th March 1915.
Son of James Henry and Hannah Hickman, of 21 Abbey Street, Lower Gornal.
[Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, France. I.A.70.]
John Hickman.
G/72694 The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment),
Died on 30th August 1918, age 21 years.
Son of Isaac (deceased) and Comfort Hickman, of 23 Ruiton Street, Lower Gornal.
[Rancourt Military Cemetery, France. C.7.]
Thomas Hill.
14612 Lance Corporal; Worcestershire Regiment, 10th Battalion.
Died on 20th October 1917, age 29 years.
Son of Thomas (deceased) and Phoebe Ann hill, of 39 Ruiton street, Lower Gornal; husband of Dinah Hill (formerly Barton) of 5 Bishops Street, Kates Hill, Dudley.
[Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. Panel 75 to 77]
Isiah Hopson.
1069178 Private; Canadian Infantry, "C" Coy. 28th Battalion.
Died on 11th October 1918, age 22 years.
Son of Isiah and Lydia Hopson, of 62 Ruiton Street, Lower Gornal.
[Niagara Cemetery, Iwuy, France. D.4.]
William Henry Hopson.
G/72697 Private; The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment).
Died on 30th August 1918, age 25 years.
Son of James and Mary Jane Hopson, of 13 Barr Street, Gornal Wood.
[Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France]
William Hughes.
46211 Private; Royal Scots, 15th Battalion.
Died on 22nd March 1918, age 20 years.
Son of Mary Jane Porter (formerly Hughes), of Vale Street, Ruiton, Upper Gornal, and the late William Hughes.
[Arras Memorial]
Joseph Hyde.
15451 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Died on 11th March 1915, age 18 years.
Son of Mrs. Ann Maria Hyde, of 71 Brookdale, Lower Gornal,.
Killed during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle (10–13 March 1915).
[Le Touret Memorial, France]
Stephen Hyde.
28439 Private; Royal Engineers, 48 Labour Company.
Died on 18th August 1917, age 19.
Son of John and Sarah Hyde, of 31 Lake Street, Lower Gornal
[Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension, Bailleul, France]
Joseph Jeavons.
3976 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 1st/7th Battalion.
Died on 1st May 1916.
[Hebuterne Military Cemetery, France, I. J. 23.]
Second Lieutenant Job.
Bernard Craig Keble Job.
Second Lieutenant, Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), 3rd Battalion.
Died on 18th April 1915, age 27 years.
The only son of the Rev. Frederick William Job, Vicar of St. James, Lower Gornal and Emily Francis Job.
[Ypes (Menin Gate) Memorial, 45-47.]
Bernard B.C. Job enlisted on the day war broke out, received a commision with rank 2nd Leut., served with Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
He was killed in action in the counter-attack on Hill 80.
[Hill 80: Near the Belgian village of Wijtschate (or Whitesheet as the British called it) was a German outpost.]
Part of the obituary that appeared in the Parish Magazine.
Bernard Craig Job was the first, who, on the outbreak of war, responded to the call of his country. He joined a kilted regiment the Liverpool Scotish, and was sworn in on August 6th. On Novemeber 1st he was gazetted as 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion of the Royal West Kent Regiment.
Landing in France on Good Friday, he was attached to the 1st Battalion of his regiment. With them he went into action on April 17th, and was killed the following day.
He was in his 28th year, and the news of his death caused universal sorrow in Lower Gornal. He was a boy of ten when he came amonst us, so that seventeen years his presence has been a familiar one, his unfailing kindness of nature and gentle courtesy has endeared him to all...

Colonel Sir Arthur Griffith-Boscawen writes of him....
"We have had terrible losses in the last few days but none will be felt in the 3rd Battalion more than this. He was a universal favourite and, had he lived, he would have made a very fine officer. That his death was a glorious one I have no doubt, he was the soul of courage.
Personally I send you and yours my own deep sympathy and that of every officer in the 3rd Battalion"
John Jones.
48768 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st/6th Battalion.
Died on 20th January 1919, age 24.
Son of Jacob and Eliza Ann Jones, of 5B The Alley, Gornal Wood.
[St. Chad churchyard, Sedgley.]
John Howard Jones.
117829 Private; Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment).
Died on 17th October 1916, age 19.
Son of Edward and Maria Jones, of 12 Temple Street, Lower Gornal.
[Buisigny Communal Cemetery Extension, IV. A. 18.]
William Andrew Jones.
37795 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 7th Battalion.
Died on 6th October 1917, age 21 years.
Son of Peter and Elizabeth Jones, of 24 Brook Street, Gornal Wood.
[Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium. VII.G.14.]
Richard John Jordan.
16773 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Died on 29th May 1916, age 20 years.
Son of James (deceased) and Mary Jane Jordan, of 7 Chase Road, Pensnett.
[Citadel New Military Cemetery, Fricourt, France. IV. A. 11.]
Private Lucas, M.M.
William Thomas Lucas, M.M.
Military Medal, 10/08/1916.
10618 Private; Leicestershire Regiment, 6th Battalion.
Died on 30th July 1916.
Son of John and Hannah Lucas, of 55 Graveyard Road, Lower Gornal.
[Arras Pas-de-Calais, France. Bay 5]
William Lucas had been wounded previously, and he had returned to France. Whilst he was serving alongside the King's Liverpool Regiment, he was killed during an unsuccessful attack on the village of Guillemont on 30th July, 1916. Heavy casualties resulted.
He was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in the field.
Samuel Malpass.
241579 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 2nd/6th Battalion.
Died on 9th April 1917, age 24 years.
Son of Benjamin and Mary Ann Malpass, of 7 Turner Street, Lower Gornal.
[Jeancourt Communal Cemetery Extension, France. II. F. 12.]
William Henry Nock.
32151 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment.
Died on 26th June 1917, aged 22 years.
Son of Benjamin and Mary Jane Nock, of 55 Lake Street, Lower Gornal.
[Gorre British and Indian Cemetery, France. IV.C.8.] [Memorial at Baptist Church. Robert Street, Lower Gornal]
William H. Nock's parents had a greengrocers shop in Lake street in the early part of the 20th Century'
George Painter.
Worcestershire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
P.O.W. 1918, repatriated after the war.
Died on 30th October 1923.
Of 104 Ruiton Street, Lower Gornal.
Daniel Parkes.
201858 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 2nd/7th Battalion.
Died on 13th September 1917, age 21 years.
Son of John Thomas and Annie Parkes, of 41 Brook Street, Gornal Wood.
[Mendinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium. IV.D.18.]
William Henry Parkes.
21194 Corporal; Worcestershire Regiment, 3rd Battalion.
Died of wounds on 11th April 1918, age 21 years.
Son of William and Gertrude Parkes, of 17 Prospect Road, Gornal Wood.
[Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, France . V. A. 24.]
Thomas Phipps.
45989 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 4th Battalion.
Died on 9th October 1917, age 28 years.
Son of Benjamin and Martha Phipps, of 33 Himley Road, Gornal Wood; husband of Mary Phipps (formerly Whittaker), of 25 Waterloo Street, Dudley.
[Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. 75-77]
William Powers.
15754 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st/5th Battalion.
Died on 28th September, 1918.
Son of Thurma Powers (widowed), of 28 Summit Place, Gornal Wood.
[Jeancourt Communal Cemetery Extension]
Thomas Cottrell Shaw.
40037 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 10th Battalion.
Died on 24th October 1916.
Son of Clement Cotterell Shaw, of 42 Summer Lane, Lower Gornal
[Thiepval Memorial, France, Pier and Face 5 A and 6 C.]
Benjamin Howard Simmons.
Lieutenant; Army Cyclist Corps, XIV Corps Cyclist Battalion.
Died on 29th October, 1918, age 29 years.
Husband of Miriam Simmons (formerly Wasdell) m.1918, of 1 The Straits, Gornal Wood.
[Tezze British Cemetery, Italy, Plot 4. Row C. Grave 12.]
Ernest Simmons.
10525 Lance Corporal; Worcestershire Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
Died on 29th September 1918, age 33 years.
Son of John and Mary Ann Simmons, of 2 West Street, Lower Gornal.
Was previously wounded in 1916.
[Domino British Cemetery, Epehy, France I. B. 1.]
Also a memorial erected in the Five Ways Methodist Church, Lower Gornal
William Watton Simmons.
517638 Private; London Regiment (London Scottish) 1st/14th Battalion.
Died on 6th November 1918, age 19 years.
Son of William and Mary Simmons, of 14 Lake Street, Lower Gornal.
[Angre Communal Cemetery, Belgium, I. A. 13. On West side]
Arthur Smith.
35222 Lance Corporal; Worcestershire Regiment, 4th Battalion.
Died on 9th October 1917, age 29 years.
Son of John and Harriet Smith; husband of Elsie Miriam Smith (formerly Evans), of "Avondale", Red Hall Road, Gornal Wood.
[Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. 75-77]
William Bernard Smith.
Ordinary Seaman; Royal Navy, H.M.S. "Louvain".
Died on 22nd January 1918, age 18 years.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. D. Smith, of 30 Abbey Street, Gornal Wood.
[Syra New British Cemetery, Greece, I.E.4.]
On 21st January, 1918, HMS Louvain was torpedoed and sunk by German U Boat UC 22, just south east of Athens in the Aegean Sea, with the loss of seven officers and 217 men. There were only 16 survivors
WW1 Memorial picture courtesy of Wesleyan Church, Gornal Wood.
"This tablet is Erected to the Glory of God
and in Memory of the Men of this Church
who Fell in the Great War 1914-1918"

Granville Bowen; Ewart Hale; Arthur Smith
Leonard Brookes; John Jordan; James Timmins
William Collins; William H. Parkes; Charles Timmins
Ernest Evans; William Powers; Fred Worton
Harry Greenway; Benjamin Simmons
Clifford William Southall.
240958 Lance Corporal; South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st/6th Battalion.
Died on 3rd October 1918, age 21 years.
Son of John and Elizabeth Southall, of 4 Church Street, Lower Gornal.
[Vis-en-Artois Memorial. Panel 6 and 7]
Previously employed at A. Allen & Sons, Lower Gornal
Charles Timmins.
Son of Samuel and Mary Timmins, of Bank Villas, Bank Road, Lower Gornal
No military history or further information available.
James Timmins.
7980 Rifleman; King's Royal Rifle Corps, 1st Battalion.
Died on 30th October 1914, age 25 years.
Son of Thomas and Rhoda Timmins, of 15 Temple Street, Lower Gornal.
[Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium]
Remebered on the headstone of Thomas and Rhoda Timmins in St. James' graveyard, Lower Gornal.
John Timmins.
15484 Private; Worcestershire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Died on 17th May 1915, age 25.
Son of John and Sarah Ann Timmins, of 20 Summit Place, Gornal Wood.
[St. James, Lower Gornal (N/E of Church)]
Isaac Tomlinson.
41748 Private; Norfolk Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Died on 2nd September 1918, age 18 years.
Son of John and Rachel Tomlinson, of 15 Brook Street, Gornal Wood.
[Bancourt British Cemetery, France. I.H.8]
Benjamin Wasdell.
49738 Private; Lincolnshire Regiment, 8th Battalion.
Died on 8th October 1918.
Son of Mrs. E. Wasdell, of 54 Summer Lane, Lower Gornal.
[Naves Communal Cemetery Extension, France. IV.E.1]
Albert Ernest Westwood.
4708 Private; Northumberland Fusiliers, 22nd (Tyneside Scottish) Battalion.
Died on 2nd April, 1918.
Son of Mrs. Eliza A. Westwood, of 37 Summer Lane, Lower Gornal.
[Denian Communal Cemetery, France. A.54.]
Albert was a miner from Ruiton Street, Lower Gornal, he had moved to Blythe, Northumberland just before the war, lodging with his brother and working at the New Delaval Colliery.
He enlisted in August 1914, and after training served at Gallipoli and Suez then from 1916 in France.
Fatally wounded during the German Spring offensive on March 17th 1918, he died of his wounds in a German field hospital on the 2nd April.
[Additional information courtesy of G. Westwood.]
Erected 2021 near Gornal Wood Library.
Job Westwood.
44403 Private; South Wales Borderers, 5th Battalion.
Died on 11th April 1918, age 37 years.
Son of Eliza Marsh (formerly Westwood), of 26 Red Hall Road, Lower Gornal.
[Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium]
Sydney Charles Whorton.
31537 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Died on 28th October 1917, age 20 years.
Son of William Barton Whorton and Sarah Whorton, of 57 Lake Street, Lower Gornal.
[Etaples Military Cemetery, France. XXX.G.24 ]
John Whorton.
325915 Private; Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars (Worcester Yeomanry).
Died on 30th April 1918, age 23 years.
Son of William Barton Whorton and Sarah Whorton, of 4 Lake Street, Lower Gornal.
[Jeruselem Memorium]
Frederick John Worton.
15461 Serjeant; Lancashire Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion.
Died on 6th April 1917, age 37 years.
Husband of Alice Jane Jones (formerly Worton), of 25 Barr Street, Gornal Wood.
[Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France]
James 'Jimmy' William Henry Wilkes.
Plym/468 (S) Private; Royal Marine Light Infantry, 2nd R.M. Bn. R.N. Div.
P.O.W., death reported on 9th July 1918, age 30 years.
Son of Benjamin and Hannah Wilkes, of 49 Graveyard Road, Lower Gornal.
[Cambrai East Military Cemetery, France. VII. A. 11]
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The following not listed on the Memorial:-
John Cartwright.
2619 Private; South Staffordshire Regiment, 1/6th Battalion.
Died on 13th October 1915, age 22 years.
He was a miner formerly employed at the Baggeridge Colliery.
Son of Zachariah and Mary Cartwright, of 3 Straits Green, Gornal Wood.
He was killed during the final British assault on the Hohenzollern Redoubt, 13th October, which failed and resulted in 3,643 casualties.
[Loos Memorial, France. Panel 73 to 76.]
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At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.
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These men, almost all from the existing Memorial Hall list were researched from various official sources where possible.
Additional content added from the research by Mr. S. Hough.
Any corrections, additions, pictures or stories welcomed, please contact me.
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The Military Medal
Decorated military personel who served in The Great War.
William Price, M.M.
Awarded the Military Medal (1917).
Corporal (Acting Sargeant) Cheshire Regiment.
Of 13a Humphrey Street, Lower Gornal. Son of Joseph Price.
"For holding his part of the line when troops on his left had fallen back until the position was relieved on the following day"
He worked at Highley Colliery before the war and joined the army in the early stages of the conflict.
A.W. Passmore, M.M.
Photo courtesy of S.Hough.
Arthur William Passmore, M.M.
Military Medal 28/01/1918 & Bar 29/08/1918.
201973 Corporal; Worcestershire Regiment, 10th Battalion.
Of 35 Lake Street, Lower Gornal.
Before the war, he worked for Gibbons Bros., Dibdale.
Sister Emily Alice Marsh.
Royal Red Cross Medal.
Huddersfield War Hospital.
Second daughter of Mr. Henry Marsh of 'The Poplars', Bank Road, Lower Gornal.
Presented with the Medal at Buckingham Palace by the King, 1917.
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1930 - The Dudley Herald, Saturday Novemeber 22.

REMEBERANCE SUNDAY
AT LOWER GORNAL.

  Every inhabitant of the village, it seemed, turned out at Lower Gornal on Sunday, Nov. 9th when an open-air service was held outside the Memorial Hall to commemmorate the anniversary of Armistice.
Many villagers flocked to the hall an hour before the service was due to start, and when the procession which formed outside the Vicarage and was composed of the choir, three troops of Boy Scouts, ex-service men and members of the local branch of the R.A.O.B., and headed by the Gornal Wood Excelsior Brass Band, reached the hall the crowd was over three thousand strong.
The proceedings were opened by the singing of "O God our help in ages past".
The Vicar, who conducted the service, said that they had taken an unusual step in making a charge for the hymn sheets but the reason was that they were anxious to collect a record sum for Earl Haig's fund this year.
An address was given by the Rev. W.F.O. Fisher (Rector of Enville), who expressed his disgust at certain books that were now on sale and were throwing mud into the faces of the English "Tommies" who faced death in the trenches for the sake of their country.
At the conclusion of the service a collection was taken for the Earl Haig's fund.


['Books' remark was a reference to the proliferation of war novels produced after the Great War.]
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