Walsall Wood’s memorial to those lost in the Great War. Image by David Evans.
Since it’s Remembrance weekend, I thought I’d share with you a project that top reader and contributor David Evans has been working on. David has gone through the roll of honour for the First World War on the Walsall Wood memorial, and listed the entries, and what he can find out about them, in spreadsheet format.
This will be of use to family historians and those seeking information about the effects and terrible toll of the conflict. It’s a live document, so it can be edited and updated as required.
David had this to say:
Hi Bob
This should give as much information as I have been able to find. Some service records were lost during a bombing raid in WW2.
I have included the major battles and their dates and location where these men would have been engaged.
It may be of some considerable use to those researching their local relatives, and especially to those whose names were missed from the list that appears in another local site.
with kind regards
David
David also noted the following:
1914, 1915 Walsall Wood War Memorial
Walsall Wood War memorial: Killed in action
1914
William Haines, born and lived in the Vigo, miner, killed in action 26 October 1914 “France and Flanders”. 1st battalion South Staffs regiment service number 8613. Age 23
Harry Lakin, lived in King Street Walsall Wood, miner, aged 28.
1915
Ernest Cresswell, son of Noah Cresswell. Bank clerk killed 13 October 1916 (wrongly dated on cenotaph I think), “France and Flanders” 1/5th battalion South Staffs territorial Regiment service number 8975. Lived in Walsall Wood.
Thomas Chambers, lived in Shelfield, (father a miner in Walsall Wood) Aged 27.
Isaac Heath, lived in Friezland Lane, 7th battalion South Staffs Regiment. Killed in action on 9 August 1915 at Gallipoli. Service number 15156. Age 24. Coal miner at Walsall Wood.
John Lee, 7th battalion South Staffs Regiment. Died of wounds. Gallipoli. Service number 15159. He lived at Irondish, brickyard worker. Age 29.
William Mills 2nd Battalion South Staffs Regiment. Killed in action 10 March 1915 “France and Flanders”. Service number 8896.
George Pickard, Oxford and Bucks Regiment light infantry, died of wounds 1915. “France and Flanders”. Age 19,
John Reynolds. 2nd battalion South Staffs Regiment. Killed in action 24 November 1915. France and Flanders” service number 18795. Age 19. Born and lived in the Vigo, Walsall Wood, “Coal miner underground”.
David and I request any corrections, clarifications or further information as appropriate; as befits such a piece of research, it tends to evolve as more becomes known. Please comment here or mail me at Brownhillsbob at Googlemail dot com.
Documents like this can be genuinely improved by community participation. Hopefully, we might do the same with the roll from the Second World War.
More of the village memorial. Image kindly supplied by David Evans.
The spreadsheet can be viewed in the insert below, or can be accessed from this link. I’ve not done this before, and couldn’t have sorted it without help from web wizards @Pezholio @CharlieSpotted and @TheStymaster who came to my aid. Cheers, chaps.
I will be discussing the subject of Remembrance tomorrow.
