BAGLEY, George

George Bagley was born at Tipton and moved with his mother to 11 New Street, Cradley. In 1914 he was living at 46 New Road, Cradley, with his wife and two children. He volunteered in 1915 and joined the 4th Battalion of the Worcesters who had returned from Gallipoli in 1916. They fought on the Somme in 1916 from Beaumont Hamel on the first day to the contest for the Transloy ridges in October. In the Spring of 1917 they were engaged in pushing the German forces back from the Somme battlefield to the Hindenburg Line and in April a major offensive was launched from Arras. The Worcesters held off a heavy German counter-attack at Monchy-le-Preux but Private George Bagley was killed in the next attack on the 23rd April. He was 28 years of age and is commemorated on the Arras, Cradley and Halesowen Memorials.