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“If you think, have a kindly thought, If you speak, speak generously, Of those who as heroes fought And died to keep you free”
Set up by the Black Country Society. Our aim is to highlight local men who died in the Great War and how they have been commemorated on war memorials. Its scope covers the whole of the present Dudley Municipal Borough and therefore includes the places which have come within its bounds since 1914.
There are over fifty memorials and the number of names exceeds three thousand. Research on the names has been extensive but inevitably errors and omissions occur. We would like to hear about them concentrated on life and work before 1914, involvement in military campaigns and where each man is buried or commemorated.
John Hughes was the son of Isaiah Hughes of Cradley and in 1914 was living with his wife, Sarah, at 77 Colley Gate, Cradley. He was a vigorous footballer for Colley Gate White Stars and also played cricket for Cradley. He enlisted in the Worcesters and was sent to the 2nd Battalion. They had been very active on the Somme during 1916 and remained in that area until the Spring of 1917. As the German forces retired to their new Hindenburg Line in April, the Worcesters followed them up. On the 23rd April they were in a major attack on this Line at Croisilles on the river Sensée. It was unsuccessful and among the killed was Private John Hughes. He was 41 years of age and is buried at St. Leger Cemetery (C 29) and commemorated on the Cradley and Halesowen Memorials. His name was also placed on the Conservative Club Roll of Honour.
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Town Hall, Priory Street, Dudley
