World War One and Acocks Green
The First World War started a century ago, and proved to be a shocking and far-reaching nightmare, which fundamentally changed British society and world politics. In Acocks Green, we have been able to find evidence of life on the home front for young people, and memories of parents who fought. Acocks Green has its own controversial V.C. as well, associated with the War Poet Wilfred Owen, no less.
The following memories were recorded in 1977 as part of a local history and identity project. Some minor editing has been done to improve the flow of the interviews.
Miss Edith Mahoney, 63 Shirley Road
I don’t remember much about the First World War. I think I was too young and irresponsible to notice things in those days. I was very airy fairy, I must admit that. Mind you, it was wonderful when the war was over. We thought that was marvellous, but I did have a brother killed in the war. That was very unsettling. That was the only thing really that brought the war to my notice.
In business we were flooded out with orders and it made us very busy – the war did. The war made a lot of difference to the business of the textile trade, because everyone used a lot of black. They all went into high mourning, and it caused a big turnover in the trade, whereas now if anyone dies people don’t bother about black now, and so it doesn’t make any difference, but in those days it did.
Taffy and Mrs Lewis, 93 Severne Road
My father got killed in the 1914-18 war. Before the war he was a chauffeur salesman. That’s a job that doesn’t exist now. When the war broke out, unfortunately for him, he was on the reserve and he went in the A.F.C. 6/- a day. When you realise that the private soldiers were getting 1/- a day thousands of them volunteered during the 1914-18 war. The first lot for 1/- a day and dad was getting 6/- But during the retreat in 1918 he got gassed. Sent him home to us. There was six of us and he died at home from gas poisoning, but what they didn’t tell Mum, it had turned into what we called galloping consumption and that started it. They should never have sent Dad home to us in that condition, but people knew they were doing wrong because I remember these doctors saying if you’d got money Mr Lewis, I could do something for you.
Mr Clark, who lived nearby, was originally an Evesham man, a timber specialist, and all he did was travel the country buying walnut for the B.S.A. to use in gunmaking. When you come to think of the price of walnut now, and every gun that the B.S.A. used to make in those days Lee Enfield and Lewis, the butts and that were made in walnut. That was during the First World War. That factory, I seen it built – they talk about modern building methods. Within two years of starting that factory they were making guns in it and within three years there were three lavatories on each floor. There’s three blocks, about twelve floors – three lavatories to each floor and in each block there were three lifts, and they were manned night and day, the lavatories and the lifts, by one-armed and one-legged ex-servicemen.
When I look around, they are all gone – dead. All the generation that left school two years in front of me, from Birmingham, they went like that. They went into the army, one day 40,000-50,000 of them. People can’t visualise it. We used to see them coming to 1st Southern General Military Hospital. That was what we now call the university. All lads in blue. One arm, one leg. No legs.
The things that happened after the war were out of this world. It was stupid. I was working at that time at the B.S.A.. November 11th, all the flags came up. We were out for the day to enjoy ourselves. November 12th, we couldn’t get into the factory, we were sacked. On Armistice Day I went home happy. “The war’s over, Dad”. My father was dying in bed and he cried. He said: “They should have gone in and smashed ‘em up” he says “This’ll happen again”. I can remember those words, but I didn’t care. The war was over. We went back to work the following day. There was no work for us. Every contract was cancelled – bang like that.
They told us to sign on the labour – they had only just started these things. They had taken over Sparkhill library and there was a queue right down to Stratford Road, and the tail end of the queue was playing football in the park. That was the end of everything, you know, to me.
During the First World War, as a youth, I was upset about the Germans, because we knew for a fact that they were boiling bodies down and using the fat to make candles. Now the real truth was that they were doing exactly the same that we ourselves were doing. If burial became too much of a problem, burn them. We’d done exactly the same as they did. But the newspapers brought this racket about they were doing it to get the fat to make candles, and it made it seem much worse. Mind you, we’ve used napalm and God knows what to burn civilians and that, but the newspapers have never sort of brought out the bad part of it, because we weren’t burning them to make candles – we were just burning them to kill them.
No, why I was in the army, really, nothing to do with patriotism. I thought, as a good many more thought, if war broke out…You could smell it a mile off, you could see it coming, because between us and Germany, it’s family business as well, like. The Royals were just as much mixed up in this battle as we were. Jealousy between the Royal Families, and that was handed down. Jealousy between the manufacturers. Jealousy between the working class, and all that. All built up by the newspapers.
Tom Morris, 94 Westley Road
When I first came up to Acocks Green, the First World War was in progress, and I decided I didn’t want to go as far as town to work. I got a job at the James Cycle Company in Greet on the universal miller. You were cutting metal. The firm then were producing 4.5 shells, eighteen pound shells, that’s the cast iron ones, also hand grenades, Mills grenades. We produced the drills for making these on the universal miller, and it took rather a lot of calculations. You were expected to work that out yourself. They didn’t come round and do your homework for you. You had to do it.
I volunteered for the munitions volunteer scheme, and they drafted me to Brook Tool. Which was quite near and a much more interesting class of work, but after that they shot me off to Coventry, and I didn’t want to go. This firm in Coventry was making “hemming” magnetos, that’s what they were called. Now our usual inept form of government, we were stuck, and completely stuck, for magnetos for aircraft engines, which were made in Coventry. Quite a big place there – Armstrong Whitworth – they couldn’t get steel for the magnets for the magnetos. There was a lot of hoo-haa about it and our firm turned up at the Ministry of Supply, and said: “please, we want some work, or we shall have to shut down” – “What do you do?” We said: “We make cobalt steel for the Germans to make magnetos”, and that’s how we proceeded in that war. I made myself so unpopular with the Manager that he let me go, and I came back to the Whitworth Works, which was in Reddings Lane, near enough Acocks Green, and which had just started up again. I worked as a universal miller in the toolroom turning out ball bearings for the general war effort.
I stayed there until the end of the war. I remember Armistice Day on the 11th of November. At 11 o’clock in the morning they let off maroons. They went off and we all came out, marched out. Left the whole place. Not a soul, and we started our celebrations. However, we struck a bad patch then, with no work and very little unemployment money. If I remember rightly, I used to get 18/6d per week unemployed money, and I had to go every day and report to Waverley Road Small Heath. Sign on to show you were unemployed. No chance of any fiddles. There was no chance of any jobs.
We had queues for food, very primitive blackout. I can remember the Zeppelins coming over. They didn’t do any harm to use, but I remember standing outside and seeing the airships. Aeroplanes were very few and far between.
Miss Adams, 97 Westley Road
The spirit of Acocks Green in the First World War was of a really wonderful community. The churches weren’t empty of people, but they were empty of youth.
However, my eldest brother was at the university at the time, and it was discovered he had a heart condition, and no one would
accept into the Forces in any shape or form. And someone did the cruel thing in those days, of sending white feathers. A white feather meant you were a coward. I remember the morning it came. He
showed it to mother and he cried. He said: “I’ll go and enlist”. Mother said: “You’ll not enlist, laddie because they won’t accept you. It’s no good”. And he was crying on my mother’s shoulder, a
lad of eighteen. And he went into hospital shortly after that. They said go and get it controlled and right, and we’ll accept you afterwards. And I always remember that morning. If you thought
someone was being a coward and shirking, and their boys had gone…there’s always horrible people, even in those days. He was studying medicine. He was eight weeks in the old Queens Hospital, which
was in Bath Row. He’d been there as a student and he went there as a patient. He was studying all the time he was in hospital. As soon as he got his second qualification he went into the Navy as
a Surgeon Lieutenant. My other two brothers also went into the Forces.
A bomb crater in a field belonging to Gospel Farm, April 1918. Hauptmann Kuno Manger’s Zeppelin L62 attacked Birmingham on 12 April, but he turned back after facing anti-aircraft fire before reaching the city centre, and dropped a 300kg bomb here. (Thanks to Joe McKenna for this information.)
The Marshall family were well known in Acocks Green for running Eastbourne House school for many years. Their brother was a controversial figure because of the manner in which he won his Victoria Cross. Both Christian names James and John were used to refer to him.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnchess2/8642211731/ (photo of the whole grave)
http://www.wilfredowen.org.uk/virtual-tour/a-band-of-friends- (photo of the gravestone)
http://www.thegreatwar1914-1918.com/VC-Recipients-1918.html (an opportunity to buy a commemorative mug)
ST. MARY’S CHURCH: IN HONOUR OF
THE MEN WHO FELL IN THE WAR 1914 – 1919 (a photograph of these names on the board in the church can be found below)
H. AITKEN
T.W.E. ALLMAN
H. ARCULUS
E.T. BAILEY
G. BAILEY
F. BANNING
H. BEECH
E.W. BENNETT
M. BEVAN
C. BIMROSE
E.E. BLAND
G.F. BOCOCK
L.H. BOTT
W. BROUGHTON
J.A. BROWN
L. BROWN
A.J. BRYANT
E.E. CARTER
J. CATTELL
W.R. CLARKE
J. CLARKSON
S. COOK
A.L. COOPER
L. DAVIS
L.S. DAVIS
C.L. DARBY
E.W. DAW
E.M. DENHAM
W. DOBSON
J. DUNN
J. EASTWOOD
J.G. EDWARDS
H.H. EDWARDS
A.E. ELSE
J.H. ELVINS
J.H. EVANS
J.W. EVANS
W.A. FOX
T. FOWLER
W. FRANKCOM
H.M. GABRIEL
W. GOODYEAR
H.E. HANSON
H. HARRISON
W.H. HARVEY
W.D. HOWLE
P.C. HUGHES
W.H. HUTCHINS
J. JONES
T.H. LAKE
F.C. LAMB
E.F. MALINS
J.M.F. MASON
A.H. MAULLIN
S.A. MILLS
P.L. MITCHELL
S.H. MOON
F. MOORE
H.P. MOORE
J. MORRIS
L.V. MUNN
S. NORMAN
A.J. PAINTING
H.G. PERKINS
H.D. PHILLIPS
E.D. POLLARD
A.T. REW
B. SEDDON
T.W. SEYMOUR
J.W.G. SMITH
W.B. SMITH
A. J. STEDMAN
H.G. TAYLOR
H. TETLEY
A.S. THATCHER
A. TIMMINS
A.G. TOMPKINS
S.A. TUSTIN
J. WALTON
A. WARREN
L. WATERS
LESLIE WATERS
L.V. WHEELER
A. WORTHINGTON
W.E. WRIGHT
W.H. YEANDLE
F.D. YOUNG
Inside St. Mary's there is also a Roll of Honour for Wellesbourne School. These are the names: below is a copy of the plaques.
Beaufort, H.
Biddle, J.E.
Brown, D.
Brown, L.
Drummond, W.
Else, A.E.
Hackett, H.O.
Hanson, T.R.
Hobday, C.L.
Hoskins, C.
Jones, H.B.
Lagarde, H.
Moore, F.
Nickson, C.R.
Nickson, S.O.
Pollard, E.
Phillips, H.D.
Sanders, J.
Tetley, H.
Tustin, S.A.
Waters, L.
Wheeler, W.P.
The Methodist church also has a Roll of Honour. We have reproduced the World War One section from Margaret Bryan's history of the church, which is digitised on this website:
In December, 1914, the Belmont Row Home Messenger Circuit Magazine listed volunteers from Acocks Green Wesleyan church who had joined H.M. Forces:
Brown, Lowson. Canadian Royal Rifles. After the 1st World War a memorial tablet was placed in church recording the names of all those who fought for their country: Acocks Green Wesleyan Church. Roll of Honour: The Great War: 1914 – 1918:
Adams, A.G. * *Killed in action or died whilst serving their country. Of two of the men who did not return from the Great War, G.S. Pardoe died of fever whilst serving in Ireland. No record can be traced of A.G. Adams. |
The Roman Catholic church in Acocks Green, Sacred Heart and Holy Souls, has a Roll of Honour in the porch. In fact, the Parish when founded had been dedicated to the Sacred heart of Jesus for the Deliverance of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The First World War made Father Gibbons determined that the new church should be a memorial to and a shrine of prayer for the victims of the War.
Army Chaplain Canon Gwyder O.S.B.
Aide-Major Jean Deramecourt (Croix de Guerre)
Captain Shirley C. Day (M.C.)
Captain E.J. Hugh Meynell (M.C.)
Lieut. Henry E. Bulbeck R.F.
Lieut. Bernard Ward Devas
Lieut. Charles J. Howell
Lieut. Basil R. Jones R.A.F.
Lieut. Oscar R. Kelly
Lieut. Vincent Narey B.A.
Lieut. Lawrence H. Ruck
2nd. Engineer Bernard Seddon
C.S.M. Horace H. Bowden
S.S.M. Thomas Cooper
Corporal J.T. Jones
L. Corporal Robert Moore
George F. Andrewes
Charles W. Assinder
John P. Driscoll
Francis M. Driscoll
Victor S. Galway Foley
James Kelly
"Longton Lads"
Walter F.J. Murphy
Philip M. Murphy
Cyril H. Murphy
William Narey
Herbert Newsham
Philip G. Powell
Walter Gossage
Edward Sharkey
John Vallance
Acocks Green Baptist church, like the Methodist church, has a wider-ranging list inside the church. Here the list identifies not only those killed but those disabled in service, and is
also an acknowledgment of all members who fought. Below is a list of those killed, then a photo of the memorial and a copy of the complete list.
Evans, James H.
Harrison, Howard
Mitchell, Arthur
Smith, J.W.G.
Smith, Murray T.
Whiting, Philip
Williams, William
The list below of men killed in the Great War has been compiled from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website in order to find people not mentioned in the above lists. We have searched under the terms Acocks's Green and Acocks Green. There are nearly ninety records. We are aware it is incomplete (for example not all the Methodist or St. Mary's church names are present) and would welcome any additional records. Fuller information, including the association of the deceased with Acocks Green, is shown in the records below. Sometimes parts of the records are not available on the CWGC website, and a gap has been left in these cases.
Formatting of records
Line 1: surname, forename, initials, age honours/awards date of death
Line 2: rank regiment unit/ship/squadron
Line 3: country service number cemetery memorial grave reference
Line 4: additional information
AITKEN, HARRY H 37 14/11/1918
Gunner Royal Garrison Artillery 98th Anti-Aircraft Sect.
Greece '106821' KIRECHKOI-HORTAKOI MILITARY CEMETERY 453
HUSBAND OF CLARA AITKEN, OF 27, FRANCIS RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
ALLMAN, THOMAS HARRY EVERARD T H E 24 23/07/1916
Lance Corporal Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 1st Bn.
France '12403' THIEPVAL MEMORIAL Pier and Face 6 B.
SON OF GEORGE AND MARY ALLMAN, OF 150, YARDLEY RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
ARCULUS, HERBERT H 21 26/09/1916
Lance Corporal Royal Warwickshire Regiment 16th Bn.
France '16/1056' A.I.F. BURIAL GROUND, FLERS V. C. 28.
SON OF FRANCIS EDWIN AND HELENA FLORENCE ARCULUS, OF "THE GLEN", HAZELWOOD RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
ASSINDER, CHARLES WILLIAM C W 31/10/1914
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment 2nd Bn.
Belgium '1126' YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Panel 8.
SON OF CHARLES AND MARY ELIZABETH ASSINDER, OF "ROSE COTTAGE," WARWICK RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
BANKS, FRANCIS HUBERT F H 29 10/04/1916
Corporal Royal Warwickshire Regiment 9th Bn.
Iraq '4137' AMARA WAR CEMETERY XXII. C. 2.
SON OF MR. G. H. AND MRS. S. A. BANKS, OF 44, MAYFIELD RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
BAYLEY, GILBERT G 28 09/08/1915
Serjeant South Staffordshire Regiment 7th Bn.
Turkey (including Gallipoli) '7491' HELLES MEMORIAL Panel 134 to 136.
SON OF MARY ANN SMITH (FORMERLY BAYLEY), OF 26, YARDLEY RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, AND THE LATE FREDERICK WILLIAM BAYLEY.
BENNETT, ERNEST WILLIAM E W 24 14/05/1918
Gunner Royal Field Artillery"X" 18th T.M. Bty.
France '135595' ANNOIS COMMUNAL CEMETERY I. C. 5.
SON OF MR. W. AND MRS. E. BENNETT, OF SPRING RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
BIDDLE, JOHN EVELYN J E 23/04/1917
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment 11th Bn.
France '781' ARRAS MEMORIAL Bay 3.
SON OF FRANK HERBERT AND EVELYN DORA BIDDLE, OF THE PHARMACY, WARWICK RD., OLTON, ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM. (Wellesbourne school)
BLAKE, JOSEPH ROBERT J R 19 08/10/1915
Private Royal Fusiliers 2nd Bn.
Greece 'L/16265' PORTIANOS MILITARY CEMETERY V. B. 102.
BORN AT ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM. SON OF JOSEPH AND MABEL BLAKE, OF 40, VICARAGE RD., WOLVERHAMPTON.
BLAND, ERNEST EDWARD E E 19 17/09/1916
Lance Corporal King's Royal Rifle Corps 21st Bn.
France 'Y/1051' THIEPVAL MEMORIAL Pier and Face 13 A and 13 B.
SON OF WILLIAM EDWARD AND MARY ANN BLAND, OF 44, FRANCIS RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM. ENLISTED, AUG., 1914.
BROCKINGTON, THOMAS WILLIAM T W 21 12/09/1916
Private Middlesex Regiment 23rd Bn.
France 'F/2247' SERRE ROAD CEMETERY No.2XXXV. J. 12.
SON OF WILLIAM ERNEST THOMAS BROCKINGTON AND ELIZABETH CHARLOTTE BROCKINGTON, OF 1288, WARWICK RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
BROWN, LOWSON L 26 12/04/1917
Company Sergeant Major Canadian Infantry 44th Bn.
France '622524' VIMY MEMORIAL
SON OF WILLIAM LOWSON BROWN AND AMY BROWN, OF ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.
CANAVAN, JOHN J 21 18/03/1918
Private Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment)
France '104775' VIMY MEMORIAL
SON OF JAMES CANAVAN, OF 27, SUMMER RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, AND THE LATE AUGUSTA CANAVAN.
CARTER, ERNEST EDWIN E E 19 09/04/1918
Gunner Royal Field Artillery "C" Bty. 286th Bde.
Belgium '161990' PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL Panel 1.
SON OF GEORGE AND KATE CARTER, OF SHIRLEY RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
CASELEY, JAMES DOUGLAS J D 27/07/1916
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment 16th Bn.
France '16/1465' THIEPVAL MEMORIAL Pier and Face 9 A 9 B and 10 B.
BROTHER OF HENRY PERCY CASELEY, OF 170, NEW AVENUE, ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
CATTELL, JOSEPH J 20 05/11/1916
Corporal Worcestershire Regiment 2nd Bn.
France '13732' THIEPVAL MEMORIAL Pier and Face 5 A and 6 C.
SON OF HENRY CHARLES AND MARY ANN CATTELL, OF 45, FLORENCE RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
CLARKE, DOUGLAS WALKER D W 21 25/04/1917
Private Hampshire Regiment 12th Bn.
Greece '13110' DOIRAN MEMORIAL
SON OF WALTER CLARKE, OF "THE ELMS," LINCOLN RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
COLE, ALFRED A20 01/07/1916
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1st/6th Bn.
France '3182' THIEPVAL MEMORIAL Pier and Face 9 9 B and 10 B.
SON OF MRS. ADA COLE, OF 39, FRANCIS RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
COOPER, ARTHUR LLEWELLYN A L 20 19/03/1918
Private Royal Army Medical Corps 6th Field Amb
France '42922' MONT HUON MILITARY CEMETERY, LE TREPORT V. F. 4B.
SON OF JOHN AND MARY ELIZABETH COOPER, OF ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
DARBY, CHARLES LESLIE C L 25 18/11/1918
Private Royal Army Medical Corps 51st Field Amb.
France '42433' CAUDRY BRITISH CEMETERY I. E. 12.
SON OF CHARLES HENRY AND MARY ELIZA DARBY, OF 123, ALEXANDER RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
DAVIS, LESLIE SANSOME L S 22 30/09/1918
Second Lieutenant Royal Air Force 92nd Sqdn.
France PROSPECT HILL CEMETERY, GOUY III. A. 2.
SON OF WILLIAM SANSOME DAVIS AND HELEN E. DAVIS, OF ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM. ENLISTED AUGUST, 1914. COMMISSIONED IN R.F.A., 1917.
DAW, ERNEST WILLIAM E W 19 26/10/1917
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment 14th Bn.
Belgium '24348' TYNE COT MEMORIAL Panel 23 to 28 and 163A.
SON OF ERNEST WILLIAM AND ALICE DAW, OF 1108, WARWICK RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
DENHAM, ERIC MARK E M 22 02/05/1918
Air Mechanic 2nd Class Royal Air Force (Felixstowe)
United Kingdom '220676' BIRMINGHAM (YARDLEY) CEMETERY A. 6961.
SON OF MR. E. J. AND MRS. F. E. DENHAM, OF 73, OXFORD RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
DINGLEY, FRED F 33 31/10/1918
Private Lancashire Fusiliers 18th Bn.
Belgium '40989' HARLEBEKE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY II. A. 12.
SON OF ALFRED AND HARRIET DINGLEY; HUSBAND OF FLORENCE MARY DINGLEY, OF 134, OXFORD RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM. BORN AT HANDSWORTH.
DRUMMOND, WILLIAM W 22 27/01/1915
Lance Corporal London Regiment (London Scottish)1st/14th Bn.
France '1889' BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY III. B. 76.
SON OF H. M. DRUMMOND, OF 3, ELLERSLIE RD., TUEBROOK, LIVERPOOL, AND THE LATE D. K. DRUMMOND, OF BIRMINGHAM. NATIVE OF ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
DUNN, JOSEPH J 29 13/10/1914
Lance Corporal Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1st Bn.
France '8996' METEREN MILITARY CEMETERY III. L. 883. (Buried near this spot.).
SON OF MR. AND MRS. GEORGE DUNN, OF 239, LINCOLN RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
DUNN, ROBERT R 30 08/11/1914
Private Northumberland Fusiliers 1st Bn.
Belgium '7749' YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Panel 8 and 12.
SON OF SARAH ANN DUNN, OF 239, LINCOLN RD., ACOCK'S GREEN; HUSBAND OF FANNY LUCY DUNN, OF 10, HAZELWOOD RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
EDWARDS, GERRARD J G 19 27/09/1915
Private Seaforth Highlanders 9th Bn.
France '5298' BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY IV. E. 15.
SON OF THOMAS WILLIAM AND MARIAN MARSHALL EDWARDS, OF "THE COTTAGE," FLINT GREEN RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
EDWARDS, HENRY HUMPHERSON H H 19 25/10/1918
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment 10th Bn.
Germany '36204' COLOGNE SOUTHERN CEMETERY VII. E. 2.
SON OF JOHN AND MARY ANN EDWARDS, OF 194, YARDLEY RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
ELSE A E 21 14/10/1918
Private Army Service Corps
Belgium 'M/315985' LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY XXX. E. 13.
SON OF JOHN WILLIAM AND FLORENCE ELSE, OF OAKHURST, OXFORD RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
ENGLAND, HORACE H 19 20/09/1917
Rifleman King's Royal Rifle Corps 11th Bn.
Belgium 'R/36918' POELCAPELLE BRITISH CEMETERY XLVIII. C. 12.
SON OF ALFRED JOSEPH AND CLARA LOUISE ENGLAND, OF THE HOLLIES, 3, SHERBOURNE RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
EVANS, JAMES HAVARD J H 21 M M 11/09/1916
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment "A" Coy. 15th Bn.
France '15/503' MONT HUON MILITARY CEMETERY, LE TREPORT II. F. 13.
SON OF JAMES H. AND LUCY EVANS, OF ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
EVANS, JOHN WILLIAM J W 22 13/04/1918
Lance Corporal Coldstream Guards 3rd Bn.
France '17781' MERVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION II. D. 21.
SON OF JOHN AND SARAH EVANS, OF 16, WESTFIELD RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, NATIVE OF WARRINGTON.
FOWLER, THOMAS T 20 23/03/1918
Corporal Wiltshire Regiment 1st Bn.
France '33149' ARRAS MEMORIAL Bay 7.
SON OF THOMAS HENRY AND MARY ELIZABETH FOWLER, OF 8, SHAFTMOOR LANE, ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
GEEN, CLIFFORD C 19 02/08/1918
Private East Surrey Regiment 8th Bn.
France '5316' VIGNACOURT BRITISH CEMETERY IV. E. 2.
SON OF HENRY GEEN, OF 1, WHARFDALE RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
HANSON, HERBERT EDWARD H E 20 29/08/1918
Gunner Royal Field Artillery "B" Bty. 121st Bde.
France '162769' GUARDS' CEMETERY, LESBOEUF SII. B. 2.
SON OF EDWARD AND EMMA MARY HANSON, OF 85, ALEXANDER RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
HARVEY, WALTER HERBERT W H 20 11/08/1918
Serjeant Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) 32nd Coy.
France '14295' VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL Panel 10.
SON OF MR. AND MRS. HARVEY, OF 6, BOTTEVILLE RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
HEXTALL, W 27 08/08/1916
Rifleman King's Royal Rifle Corps 17th Bn.
Belgium 'R/2785' ESSEX FARM CEMETERY III. D. 4.
SON OF SAMUEL JOHN AND SARAH HEXTALL OF 100, OXFORD RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
HOWLE, WALTER DOUGLAS W D 32 17/10/1917
Private South Wales Borderers 4th Bn.
Iraq '27525' BASRA MEMORIAL Panel 16 and 62.
SON OF ELLEN HOWLE, OF 110, ARDEN RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, AND THE LATE ROBERT HOWLE.
HUGHES, CHARLES HENRY C H 21 04/06/1916
Lance Corporal Royal Warwickshire Regiment 15th Bn.
France '15/414' FAUBOURG D'AMIENS CEMETERY, ARRASI. D. 1.
SON OF MRS. C. HUGHES, OF "PARKSTONE," WARWICK RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
HUGHES, PERCY CAYNTON P C 28 03/10/1918 Second Lieutenant Royal Welsh Fusiliers 3rd Bn.
Greece KARASOULI MILITARY CEMETERY C. 623.
YOUNGEST SON OF PETER AND MARY HUGHES, OF 235, DOUGLAS RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
HULSTON, EDWIN HERBERT E H 19 19/10/1918
Signalman Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve H.M.S. "Plumpton."
Belgium 'Z/10138' OOSTENDE NEW COMMUNAL CEMETERY B. 23.
SON OF GEORGE AND EMMA HULSTON, OF 161, LINCOLN RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
HUTCHINS, WILLIAM HENRY W H 29 18/04/1915
Serjeant King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 2nd Bn.
Belgium '3/3469' YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Panel 47.
SON OF JOSEPH AND SELINA HUTCHINS, OF 192, YARDLEY RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM. INSPECTOR OF POLICE, FEDERATED MALAY STATES. RE-ENLISTED, DEC., 1914.
INSTONE, EDWIN LLOYD E L 30 04/08/1917
Second Lieutenant South Staffordshire Regiment 7th Bn.
Belgium ROESELARE COMMUNAL CEMETERY II. H. 3.
SON OF JOHN LLOYD INSTONE AND SARAH INSTONE, OF EDGBASTON, BIRMINGHAM; HUSBAND OF CONSTANCE ANNIE INSTONE, OF 26, YARDLEY RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
LAKE, T H 21 28/03/1918
Private Machine Gun Corps 63rd Bn.
France '73377' ST. HILAIRE CEMETERY, FREVENT V. C. 10.
SON OF LILLIAN JOYCE HELEN LAKE, OF 33, FRANCIS RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
LAKE, ARTHUR WILLIAM A W 31 22/08/1918
Driver Royal Field Artillery "A" Bty., 175th Bde.
France '33418' FRANVILLERS COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION II. A. 26.
BORN AT ACOCK'S GREEN. SON OF THOMAS AND EMILY LAKE, OF 15, TARRY RD., SALTLEY, BIRMINGHAM; HUSBAND OF MYRA MARGARET LAKE, OF 7, KIMBERLEY AVENUE, TARRY RD., SALTLEY, BIRMINGHAM.
LAMB, T F C 17 01/07/1918
Boy Royal Navy H.M.S. Royal Oak
United Kingdom 'J/79089' BIRMINGHAM (YARDLEY) CEMETERY B. 25623.
SON OF MRS. TABITHA ANN LAMB, OF 49, FRANCIS RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
LITTLEFORD, HAROLD ALFRED H A 31 05/04/1917
Bombardier Royal Garrison Artillery 196th Siege Bty.
France '105395' ANZIN-ST. AUBIN BRITISH CEMETERY I. A. 3.
SON OF ALFRED THOMAS AND MARY ALICE LITTLEFORD, OF ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
MARCHANT, F 23 20/08/1920
Private King's Shropshire Light Infantry
United Kingdom '44512' OLTON FRANCISCAN CEMETERY, SOLIHULL 347.
SON OF ALEXANDER AND CATHERINE MARCHANT, OF 59, BLYTHSWOOD RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
MALINS, EDWARD FRANCIS E F 19 12/04/1918
Second Lieutenant South Wales Borderers 2nd Bn.
France LA KREULE MILITARY CEMETERY, HAZEBROUCK I. C. 16.
SON OF JOSEPH AND MARY CHARLOTTE MALINS, OF BIRMINGHAM. (St. Mary's and Methodist churches)
MAULLIN, ALBERT HENRY A H 24 27/06/1917
Lance Corporal Army Service Corps 32nd Div. H.Q.
France 'S4/129488' DUNKIRK TOWN CEMETERY I. A. 7.
SON OF ALBERT AND MYRA ANNIE MAULLIN, OF 111, DOUGLAS RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
MEE, EDWARD REED E R 13/09/1916
Private 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion
France '152891' ALBERT COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION I. N. 16.
SON OF THE LATE JAMES ISAAC AND EMILY MEE. BORN AT ACOCK'S GREEN, ENGLAND.
MILLS, SAMUEL ARNOLD S A 18 04/02/1918
Signalman Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve S.S. "Treveal."
United Kingdom 'Bristol/Z/10353' PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL 30.
SON OF SAMUEL MILLS, OF 31, VICTORIA RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
MITCHELL, PHILIP LEONARD P L 22 03/06/1915
Corporal Canadian Infantry 10th Bn.
United Kingdom '81600' BIRMINGHAM (YARDLEY) CEMETERY B. 7630.
SON OF HENRY AND CLARA MITCHELL, OF 26, SHIRLEY RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.
MOORE, FREDERICK F 22 03/07/1917
Second Lieutenant Royal Flying Corps 4th Sqdn.
Belgium LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY XIII. A. 7.
ONLY SON OF FREDERICK AND ROSE MOORE, OF 2, MALVERN RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
MOORE, ROBERT R 42 24/04/1918
Lance Corporal Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 10th Bn.
France '1992' METEREN MILITARY CEMETERY V. B. 591.
SON OF JOHN AND ELLEN MOORE, OF 290, NEW AVENUE, ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND. NATIVE OF BIRMINGHAM.
MORRIS, JOHN J 20 03/08/1916
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment 14th Bn.
France '1248' ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN B. 36. 12.
SON OF JOHN AND ELIZA MORRIS, OF 186, YARDLEY RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
NEWMAN, SIDNEY S 30 25/05/1918
Private Royal Berkshire Regiment 5th Bn.
France '202677' ACHEUX BRITISH CEMETERY Plot 1. Row D. Grave 5.
HUSBAND OF FLORENCE MAUD NEWMAN, OF 4, GROVE AVENUE, ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
NOLAN, JAMES J 30 12/05/1917
Rifleman King's Royal Rifle Corps 5th Bn.
United Kingdom 'R/29864' NECHELLS (ST. JOSEPH) ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHYARD North.
HUSBAND OF M. A. DOYLE (FORMERLY NOLAN), OF 266, POOL FARM RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
PAINTING, ARTHUR JAMES A J 24 05/12/1916
Private King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 8th Bn.
Belgium '11960' HOP STORE CEMETERY Plot I. Row E. Grave 31.
SON OF FREDERICK AND AMY PAINTING, OF 218, YARDLEY RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
PHILLIPS, WILLIAM JOHN W J 25 05/10/1915
Serjeant Royal Field Artillery "A" Bty. 74th Bde.
France '30666' LOOS MEMORIAL Panel 3.
SON OF WILLIAM JOHN PHILLIPS, OF 272, NEW AVENUE, ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM; HUSBAND OF BEATRICE PHILLIPS, OF 17, HALL COTTAGES, HALL GREEN, WEST BROMWICH.
PRICE, WILLIAM W 32 29/09/1915
Lance Corporal King's Royal Rifle Corps 1st Bn.
France 'R/8190' LOOS MEMORIAL Panel 101 and 102.
SON OF JOHN AND MARY PRICE, OF 288, GOLDEN HILLOCK RD., SMALL HEATH; HUSBAND OF FLORENCE MINNIE CRATHORN (FORMERLY PRICE), OF 194, DOUGLAS RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
SEDDON, BERNARD B 25 19/02/1918
Third Engineer Mercantile Marine S.S. "Beacon Light"
(Liverpool) United Kingdom TOWER HILL MEMORIAL.
SON OF JOSEPH AND CECILIA SEDDON, OF 41, SHIRLEY RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM. BORN AT SHEFFIELD.
SIMMONDS, GUY BLOXHAM G B 29 29/12/1916
Second Lieutenant Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) 86th Coy. 5th Bn.
France ST. PIERRE CEMETERY, AMIENS VI. B. 6.
SON OF WILLIAM HENRY AND AMY SIMMONDS, OF HOBART, TASMANIA. JOINED PUBLIC SCHOOLS BN. (16TH MIDDLESEX) ON THE OUTBREAK OF WAR AS PRIVATE. BORN AT ACOCKS GREEN, WORCS.
SKIDMORE, WILLIAM W 22 21/09/1917
Private Gloucestershire Regiment 8th Bn.
Belgium '15938' TYNE COT MEMORIAL Panel 72 to 75.
SON OF FREDERICK WILLIAM AND ELLEN SKIDMORE, OF 43, BROAD RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
SMITH, JOHN WILMSHURST GRANGER J W G 24 31/08/1916
Captain South Staffordshire Regiment 1st Bn.
France THIEPVAL MEMORIAL Pier and Face 7 B.
SON OF JOHN GRANGER SMITH AND FRANCES ANNE SMITH, OF 38, SHIRLEY RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
SMITH, FRANK F 30 13/08/1916
Corporal Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 14th Bn.
France '3496' VILLERS-BRETONNEUX MEMORIAL.
SON OF EMMA SMITH, OF 757, WARWICK RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, AND THE LATE EDWIN SMITH.
SMITH, SIDNEY GEORGE S G 51 V D, T D 08/10/1917
Lieutenant Colonel Hampshire Regiment 7th Bn.
Iraq BAGHDAD (NORTH GATE) WAR CEMETERY XX. K. 8.
SON OF GEORGE FABIAN SMITH AND SARAH LOUISE SMITH; HUSBAND OF KATE FRANCES SMITH, OF ORMIDALE, REDHILL HEIGHTS, BOURNEMOUTH. BORN AT ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
SMITH, WALTER JOSEPH W J 25 25/09/1915
Private Gloucestershire Regiment 10th Bn.
France '16048' LOOS MEMORIAL Panel 60 to 64.
SON OF MRS. EMMA SMITH, OF 219, SPRING RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
STEADMAN, ALFRED JAMES A J 25 05/10/1917
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment 15th Bn.
Belgium '705' TYNE COT MEMORIAL Panel 23 to 28 and 163A.
SON OF THE LATE WILLIAM AND MARY ANN STEADMAN, OF 63, LINCOLN RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
SWIFT, RICHARD NEVILLE R N 25 M M 23/10/1918
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment 8th Bn.
United Kingdom '305078' BIRMINGHAM (LODGE HILL) CEMETERY B8. 338.
SON OF MR. AND MRS. PHILIP SWIFT, OF SHAMROCK COTTAGE, GREENWOOD RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
TABBERNER, SIDNEY VICTOR S V 32 27/11/1918
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment 10th Bn.
United Kingdom '21321' BIRMINGHAM (YARDLEY) CEMETERY A. 14571.
SON OF THE LATE WILLIAM TABBERNER, OF ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM; HUSBAND OF EDITH TABBERNER, OF SHELSLEY BEAUCHAMP, WORCS.
THOMPSON, A W H 24 11/07/1918
Private Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 7th Bn.
United Kingdom '15397' SMETHWICK (UPLANDS) CEMETERY Screen Wall. 16. CE.C 6516.
SON OF MRS. M. E. THOMPSON, OF 68, GOSPEL LANE, ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, AND THE LATE MR. J. W. THOMPSON.
TIMMS, WILLIAM W 32 11/12/1916
Private Gloucestershire Regiment 2nd Bn.
Greece '24181' STRUMA MILITARY CEMETERY VIII. A. 14.
HUSBAND OF HELEN TIMMS, OF 1, STATION RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
TOMPKINS, ALBERT GEORGE A G 21 31/08/1916
Private South Staffordshire Regiment 1st Bn.
France '10917' THIEPVAL MEMORIAL Pier and Face 7 B.
SON OF JOHN TOMPKINS, OF 175, SPRING RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
TUSTIN, SYDNEY ARTHUR S A 24 06/08/1916
Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment 14th Bn.
United Kingdom '313' BIRMINGHAM (YARDLEY) CEMETERY A. 4304.
SON OF MARY TUSTIN, OF 21, OXFORD RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
VICKERY, WILLIAM ASHLEY W A 29 28/12/1920
Private Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 4th Bn.
United Kingdom '704' BIRMINGHAM (BRANDWOOD END) CEMETERY B. 8. "C." 6.
HUSBAND OF L. M. VICKERY, OF 22, GREENWOOD AVENUE, ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.
WALL, GEORGE REID G R 10/08/1915
Private Worcestershire Regiment 9th Bn.
Turkey (including Gallipoli) '20036' HELLES MEMORIAL Panel 104 to 113.
HUSBAND OF A. A. BENNETT (FORMERLY WALL), OF 175, LINCOLN RD., ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
WALTON, JOSEPH J 24 08/12/1915
Rifleman King's Royal Rifle Corps 7th Bn.
Belgium 'A/1535' YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Panel 51 and 53.
SON OF JOSEPH AND ELIZA WALTON, OF 50, STOCKFIELD RD. ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
WARD, FRANK CHARLES F C 29 12/09/1918
Able Seaman Royal Navy H.M.S. "Pelican."
United Kingdom 'J/51216' PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL 29.
HUSBAND OF ANNIE WARD, OF 415, YARDLEY RD., SOUTH YARDLEY, BIRMINGHAM. NATIVE OF ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
WARREN, ARCHIBALD A 26 09/05/1915
Rifleman Rifle Brigade 2nd Bn.
Belgium '2580' PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL Panel 10.
SON OF JOHN JOSEPH AND BESSIE WARREN, OF 192, NEW AVENUE, ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
WATERS, LAWRENCE L 25 02/08/1915
Serjeant Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry 5th Bn.
Belgium '10632' YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Panel 37 and 39.
SON OF THE LATE ALDERMAN AND MRS. WATERS, OF ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM. HIS BROTHER L. WATERS ALSO FELL.
WHEELER, LESLIE VICTOR L V 23 17/10/1917
Signalman Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve S.S. "Manchuria."
United Kingdom 'Bristol Z/10173' PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL 25.
SON OF ALBERT BENJAMIN AND LOUISA WHEELER, OF 59, YARDLEY RD., ACOCKS GREEN, BIRMINGHAM.
YEANDLE, HENRY WILLIAM H W 30 20/05/1917
Corporal Royal Warwickshire Regiment "C" Coy. 14th Bn.
France '664' ARRAS MEMORIAL Bay 3.
SON OF ALBERT HENRY AND ANNIE YEANDLE, OF WITLEY LODGE, HATHERLEY, CHELTENHAM; HUSBAND OF MAUD E. YEANDLE, OF "ABBOTSFORD," ACOCK'S GREEN, BIRMINGHAM. EDUCATED AT KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL, BIRMINGHAM.
Also, James Samuel Hopkins, who was born in Acocks Green in 1881, and was killed on 18th August 1916. He is not indexed here, but is mentioned in Solihull Life.