Two men with a local connection lost their lives on active service on 9th August 1918, the day after the start of the Battle of Amiens – Lance Corporal William Broadfield 2nd/10th Battalion, London Regiment, and Private Herbert Ronald King, 25th Battalion, Canadian Infantry.
26th July 1918
Lance-Corporal George Townsend was killed in action on 26th July 1918, whilst serving with the 12th Battalion The King’s (Liverpool Regiment). He was the first of two brothers to be killed in the war.
22nd July 1918
Lieutenant Gilbert Richard Barnard died of malaria on 22nd July 1918 whilst serving with the 1st Battalion, Cape Corps, South African Forces. Born in Tanworth on 10th October 1897, he was the third of the five children (four boys, one girl) of parents, Rev. Gilbert William Barnard and Beatrix Amy (née Staunton) who had married at Meriden in 1894.
21st July 1918
Lieutenant Philip Edward Lindner, aged 30, was killed on 21st July 1918 whilst flying with 66th Wing, Royal Air Force in Albania. Born in Solihull on 4th April 1889, he was the youngest of the seven children of parents, Frederick William Lindner (an export merchant) and his wife Lucy Jane (née Collins) who had married in Coventry in 1876.
20th July 1918
Two men with a local connection lost their lives on active service on 20th July 1918. Captain Robert Jacobs, commanding No. 8 Sanitary Section, Royal Army Medical Corps, died of wounds, aged 39, after an enemy bomb fell on his billet. Second Lieutenant Norman Edward Smith, 1st/2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, attached to 2nd/4th Battalion Hampshire Regiment, was killed in action, aged 28.
16th July 1918
Two men with a local connection lost their lives on 16th July 1918 whilst on active service – Private Percy Farmer Draycott, Royal Army Service Corps and Private Charles Henry Hiles, 18th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers.
15th July 1918
Two men with a local connection lost their lives on active service on 15th July 1918. Lieutenant Ronald John Gilman, Warwickshire Yeomanry, was 20 years old and he died of injuries received after enemy torpedoes hit his troop ship en route to France. On the same day, Old Contemptible, Private John Richmond, 2nd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment, died in a German Prisoner of War camp.
28th June 1918
Three men with a local connection lost their lives on active service on 28th June 1918:
- Private Harry Cross, 1st Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
- Private Robert Henry Smith, 15th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
- Private George Henry Taylor, 12th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
17th June 1918
Private Henry Francis Cleaver, known as Frank, died at 32 Casualty Clearing Station, France. He was serving with the 10th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and was aged 40.
15th June 1918
Private Arthur Sydney Neale died on 15th June 1918 whilst serving with 6th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. He was born in Shirley in 1898 and was the seventh of the ten children (eight sons, two daughters) of parents George Henry (a farm labourer) and Sarah (née Bishop) who had married in Solihull in 1884. Arthur was one of four brothers to serve in the Armed Forces. He is pictured above (left) with two fellow soldiers.
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