Private Alfred Stevens MM, 99th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, died of his wounds at Keighley War Hospital on 30th April 1918, having been invalided to the UK. Born in Shirley in 1889, Alfred became a clerk with the Britannic Assurance company.
16th April 1918
Two local men lost their lives on 16th April 1918 whilst on active service – Private Jim Birch, 5th Battalion, Tank Corps, and Lance Corporal Harry Moseley, 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
13th April 1918
Two local men lost their lives on 13th April 1918 serving with the 14th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment – 31-year-old Private Leonard Russell and 22-year-old Sergeant Robert Alban Wright.
4th April 1918
Rifleman Harry Fox, 7th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps, died of wounds on 4th April 1918. Harry was the fifth of the eight known children of parents George Blanford Fox (coachman and, later, farm labourer) and Sarah Ann (née Hughes) who married in George’s home parish of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 1874. There was a ninth child, who had died by 1911, as had two of the other children – Fanny (born and died in 1874) and John (born and died 1877). The family moved to Solihull Lodge between 1875-1877 and lived there until at least 1911.
1st April 1918
Private Arthur Noel Cox, 20th Hussars was killed in action on 1st April 1918. He was the 11th of 12 children of whom three had died by 1911. One of Arthur’s brothers – Edward John Cox, a regular soldier – had died in 1915 of illness, after being involved in the ‘Wayfarer incident’.
26th February 1918
On 26th February 1918, Acting Matron Katy Beaufoy lost her life when HMHS Glenart Castle, the hospital ship on which she was serving with Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, was torpedoed by German submarine UC56 ten miles west of Lundy Island. The ship was making her way from South Wales down the Bristol Channel, bound for Brest, France, and was clearly displaying hospital ship markings, including lit Red Crosses and being painted white with green stripe on the sides. The torpedo hit the no. 3 hold at 03:47am, destroying most of the lifeboats in the process, and the ship sank within eight minutes. Only 32 people survived, with 162 losing their lives.
4th January 1918
34-year-old Lance Corporal George Johnson, 11th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, died of wounds in France on 4th January 1918. He was born in Marton, Warwickshire on 29th September 1883 and was the seventh of the twelve children of parents, William (a farm labourer) and Emma (née Hobday) who had married at Stretton on Dunsmore on Christmas Day, 1870.
12th December 1917
Lieutenant Lancelot John Barrington Walters lost his life in the sinking of HMS Partridge in the North Sea. On the same day, Private Alfred Humphriss Saunt, Army Service Corps, died of wounds at Queen Mary’s Military Hospital, Whalley, Lancashire.
7th November 1917
Private Neville Bradford Woollaston was killed in action on 7th November serving with the 15th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was born in Shirley on 26th December 1894 and was registered as Bradford Neville Woollaston. However, he was known as Neville and his first names were transposed in most records.
23rd October 1917
Two local men lost their lives on 23rd October 1917 whilst on active service in Flanders with the Royal Garrison Artillery. Acting Bombardier William Brookes Hadley was serving with “G” Anti-Aircraft Battery, whilst Acting Bombardier Herbert John Snow was with the 155th Heavy Battery.
Solihull Life 