GROSVENOR, William Henry

William Grosvenor came from Brierley Hill and volunteered in August 1914 for the South Staffords. He went to the 7th Battalion which completed its training at Frensham in June 1915 and was then ordered to Gallipoli to break the stalemate on the peninsula. They reached Cape Helles and its trenches in July and prepared for new landings at Suvla Bay. The Staffords were the first to land on the 6th August and surprise was effective in achieving a safe landing. However, the attempt to reach the important Gallipoli ridge three days later led to a serious defeat. The Turks were in well prepared defences and the Staffords were affected by the hot climate and illness. Over four hundred men were casualties and retreat to the beaches followed. On the 21st another attack was mounted but completely wrecked by Turkish shelling. Among the 300 casualties was Private William Grosvenor who died on the 22nd August. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial and on the Brierley Hill and Brierley Hill church Memorials.