BAGGOTT, Arthur

Arthur Baggott lived in Oldswinford, but by 1918 his parents had moved to 3 Hickman Street, Stambermill. His name was placed mistakenly on the original memorial at St. Mary’s as one of those who served in the Great War and returned. In 1921 it was rightly added to the names on the second memorial now in the Lady Chapel. His name is not on the Stourbridge memorial, nor on that of Lye and Wollescote. In October 1914 he volunteered for war service. He joined the Worcesters and was sent in May 1915 to join the 4th Battalion at Gallipoli. He survived the costly battles of that campaign and fought through the Somme in 1916 and Third Ypres in 1917. He was wounded on two occasions and was then transferred to the Machine Gun Corps in 1918. He joined the 35th Battalion in the 35th Division which was stationed north of Ypres. They were not involved in the German Spring offensives but joined the Advance to Victory.. The most critical period of the advance was late September when the German forces hoped to regroup behind their old Hindenburg Line. British morale, however, had been raised and the future availability of massive numbers of American troops gave the promise of eventual victory. Private Arthur Baggott was killed in action on the 21st September. He was 22 years of age and is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois and Oldswinford church Memorial.