Bloxwich Remembers

We remember, quite rightly, all those that fell in the First World War on Remembrance Day each year.  There are many that also served but came home.  Not all of them healthy, many came home wounded, with lost limbs, with breathing problems through being gassed, with shell shock, some came home with injuries that would cause their death shortly after returning.  These also deserve to be remembered.

 

That is what this list of servicemen is, just click the letter opposite for their surname. The names are taken from a combination of references.

 

Starting in January 1915 the vicar of Bloxwich, Rev Hamilton, sought to gather together all those that enlisted regardless of church denomination.  He wanted as complete a list as he could create containing all enlisted men in the parish, and those who had volunteered with the Red Cross. 

 

I've added to his list with names taken from the Bloxwich and Blakenall Rolls of Honour, my research including the books "Mud Blood and Bullets" by Edward Rowbotham, and "Sorrow into Pride" by Ken Wayman and Barry Crutchley, "Walsall Servicemen 1914-1918 A guide to research by Sue Satterthwaite, the 1914 forum, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, genealogy and Imperial War Museum databases. David Jones has additionally provided names, service numbers and photographs from his research. Also visitors to this site who have provided names of their ancestors. 

 

The list is still not complete, during the Peace Celebrations in September 1919 the Rev Hamilton said that about 2000 men from Bloxwich, Blakenall and Leamore had enlisted, at present there are over 1700 men and women listed here so there is still some way to go. Please use the contact sheet if you have names to add.

Blue coloured names will link to the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the Great War site or the Red Cross site and give, where available, more information.

 

Alas photographs of the servicemen are rare, but some still exist The ones shown on the pages attached are taken from the books listed above or the 1914 forum and are printed with the authors permission, or have been sent to me.  If you click on the image you will be connected to the serviceman's record on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the Great War site. If there are more than ten photographs the "Show more" button will load the next 10 photographs.

 

If you have any others please let me know via the contact me page, it would be great if we could put a picture to every name.