PARSONS, Tidal

Tidal Parsons was born in Cradley and lived in Beecher Road. He attended Cradley C of E school and then enlisted in the army, serving in the South Staffordshire Regiment. He had completed his terms of service and in 1914 he and his wife, Mary, were living in Cross Street, Lye. He was working for Woodhouse Bros. at Newtown, Cradley Heath. He volunteered for the Worcesters and joined the 3rd Battalion in the British Expeditionary Force. In August they had landed in France, marched to Mons and retreated to the Marne. When the line was stabilised on the Aisne, the German attack moved to Flanders and the first battle of Ypres. Tidal Parsons would probably have joined them as became involved in the defence of Ypres. In the winter of 1915 they were stationed on the southern end of the Messines ridge at Spanbroek Mill. The first British attack in this sector was at Neuve Chapelle on the 12th March. The Worcesters put in a costly diversionary attack and among those killed in action was Private Tidal Parsons. He was 30 years of age and is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Cradley, Halesowen, Lye and Wollescote and Cradley school Memorials.