Brandhoek Cemetery in Belgium – final resting place of a Walsall Wood lad. May you rest in peace old chap. Image from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Friend of the blog and Pelsall person Jayne Preston has asked me on Facebook if I have any pictures of, or know anything about Barnetts Buildings, Shire Oak, Walsall Wood – I’m sad to say I don’t.
Can anyone help please?
The enquiry is in relation to the following fallen serviceman:
Gunner G Bough
76908, ‘D’ Bty. 110th Bde., Royal Field Artillery
Died age 24 on 26 July 1917
Husband of A. Bough, of Barnetts Buildings, Shire Oak Hill, Walsall Wood, Staffs.
Interred in Brandhoek New Military Cemetery, Belgium.
If you can help with this, please comment here or mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Cheers all.
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Hi Bob
ot may be that Audrey Proffits stories has a long shot of the row, if its one of the three oppsoite Holly Lane… another possibility..the football match at Oak Park..may show it if it was one. y Lichfield Row. will check ancestry.
Mynears are ringing a bit at the moment. Loud dragon at Oak park!
cheers
David
Hi
George Bough Gunner is my grandmothers eldest brother. I have a picture of him taken from the newspaper archives. Also that he married a lady called Annie Cresswell prior to leaving for war. Sadly not to return.
Thanks
Tanya
Annie Cresswell then married Thomas Anslow and was my Grandmother.
In 1911 a George Richard Bough (17), lived at Lichfield Road, Walsall Wood. Annie Cresswell (16) lived next door!
15 records away was Brook Lane, so they must have moved after marriage? However, 2 records the other way is James Horton of Barnetts Bldg, Lichfield Road, Walsall Wood. The building name is not given for any nearby records, though Lichfield Road, Shire Oak is given once.
Only 2 more records away is John Poxon at Streets Corner.
I suspect the order of records does not reflect the geography.
I can’t find them in 1901.
I Have a book walsall and district .the roll of the great war on one page is listed Bough.gunner.GEORGE.RFA WALSALL WOOD i have searched for any other deatails but none are listed sadly but the letters RFA may have some meaning
RFA is Royal Field Artillery.
HI Tanya
I think Ive got it. The first row of cottages leading along Lichfield Road,towards Brook Lane , leaving Streets Corner and on the side of the road where the Fitness first gym is. This row had Bayleys wool shop first, and was a row of four cottages. Then there was the Cycle and accumulator shop.
Today it was about there the bus pull in and layby now stands.(until recently a Tesco shop was by there )
Now to see if theres an image anywhere.
The cemetery near Ypres is worth a visit if you ever get the chance..see also Ypres and Poperinghe, and just to the south of there, Messines.
David
Hmm. Not so fast, Manuel.
Is there any evidence the stretch down from Streets Corner to The Wood was ever known as ‘Shire Oak Hill’?
Reading Andy’s comments I can’t match them with this assertion.
I think we may be rushing into a conclusion here without the evidence being a good fit.
Might this not have been near or opposite the Ivy House, for instance?
Leading the witness, Your Honour?
😀
Bob
I think Bob is right to advise caution. Shire Oak Hill does imply north of Streets Corner. It is possible that the enumerator went from Brook Lane along that side of Lichfield Road, past Streets Corner, then crossed the road and returned via houses on the hill, before getting back to Streets Corner.
Hi Tanya
no luck..but if you look at the blog article, “I carried the line prop “you will see the same sort of rows of houses on the same side of the road, but just a few yards past the Streets Corner junction, heading up the Shire Oak hill. A461.
.
Also, article “I can see clearly now” has a super 1926 aerial photo you can zoom in on..Just below the junction, right hand side..opposite side of the road has some washing out..A white sided building just below the row in question ..was a working mens club)
However..you never know, now that we have located the rows of buildings perhaps a blog reader has a photo they would kindly share, to help you
cheers
David
The 110th Brigade RFA
CX Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, served with 25th Division. The Division was formed in September 1914 as part of Kitchener’s Third New Army, and assembled in the area around Salisbury. They proceeded to to France in late September 1915 and concentrated in the area of Nieppe. Their first action was in defence of the German attack on Vimy Ridge in May 1916. They then moved to The Somme and joined the Battle just after the main attack, with 75th Brigade making a costly attack near Thiepval on the 3rd of July. The Division was in action at The Battle of Bazentin, The Battle of Pozieres and The Battle of the Ancre Heights. In 1917 they were in action at The Battle of Messines attacking between the Wulverghem-Messines and Wulverghem-Wytschaete roads. In the Third battle of Ypres were were in action during The Battle of Pilkem. In 1918 they were in action on The Somme, in the Battles of the Lys, where the suffered heavy casualties and in June most units of the Division returned to England to reconstitute. The atillery remained in France and between the 26th of May and 4th of June CX Brigade was attached to 8th Division. On the 31st of July the fought with 58th Division, and joined 12th Division on the 4th of August, for the Battles of Amiens and Albert. On the 30th of August they transferred to 47th Division and were in action at the Second Battle of Bapaume. CX Brigade took part in the Battle of Epehy and on the 25th of September transferred to the Australian Corps and was in action in the Battle of the Saint-Quentin Canal. They rejoined the 25th Division on the 4th of October during the Final Advance in Picardy.
http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/rfaCXBrigade.php
Well in 1888 The Hill House, Shire Oak Hill, 4.5 miles from Lichfield was to be let.
HI Bob
to come back to Tanyas request for an image…please see my notes.
cheers
david
Hi David
The requester was Jayne Preston, in the original post.
My point is that if your premise isn’t correct, the photos won’t be either.
As I say, let’s see what shakes out before closing down a debate with a conclusion.
Cheers
Bob
And they are still not sure?
Just where is the Shire Oak Boundary? A Public Inquiry 1909
With respect to the Shire Oak Boundary with BUDC and Lichfield RDC….when the boundary was formed in 1877, part of the parish of Shenstone was included in the district. That part was shown on the Local Goverment Board map was 50 feet on the SE side of the main road from Walsall to Lichfield….the LRDC recently employed a firm of assessors to revise the assessments in their district, and this firm took the revised OS map to work from, and this map differed from the one that was given to the Local Gov Board upon its formation, and consequently the UC would loose some rateable value…..The boundary was changed to 60 feet
HI Bob
my apologies, and best wishes, to Jayne.
David
The bycyle and acumulator shop refered to earlier was owned by a grand old gentleman mr yoemans a grand old gentleman always wore a full length cow gown thanks for the memory
Thank you Cousin Jayne for making an enquiry with Bob. Annie Bough, nee Cresswell became a housekeeper to Thomas Anslow, who was a widower. One thing led to another and they married. Annie and Thomas Anslow are my grandparents, which explains my interest in George Bough. Thanks to those who have replied above.