ANDREWS, Reuben

Reuben Andrews was born in Halesowen and attended Halesowen C of E school and the Halesowen Methodist church. He volunteered for the Warwicks Territorials and joined the 2/7th Battalion in the 61st Division which went to France in May 1916. They were engaged on the Somme in 1916 and in the Third Battle of Ypres in mid-1917 but their first major engagement was at Cambrai in November 1917. This was a major British attack involving many tanks which created successful breaches in the Hindenburg Line. The Warwicks were held back to face the expected German counter-attack and suffered severe casualties from the 30th November. Among them was Private Reuben Andrews who was killed in action on the 5th December. His name is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial and on the Halesowen, Halesowen United Methodist church and Halesowen C of E school Memorials.