BIRD, Sidney

Sidney Bird was the son of Mrs. Elizabeth Bird of 16 Campbell Street, Dudley, and enlisted in the Worcesters. He joined the 3rd Battalion, probably late in 1917, to spend the winter of early 1918 in the shadow of the Hindenburg Line near Cambrai. In March they were ordered to move forward to counter the first German Spring offensive which started at St. Quentin on the 21st. Attempted counter-attacks failed and the Worcesters were driven back over the old Somme battlefield. They were transferred to Ploegsteert Wood where they then faced the second German offensive on the Lys on the 9th April. Overwhelming German forces advanced and more heavy casualties were taken. It was a fighting retreat that took the Worcesters back to Kemmel and the German forces were eventually halted on the Scherpenberg. The overall cost was very high and Private Sidney Bird was among the seriously wounded. He was seriously wounded and sent to the base hospital at Boulogne where he died on the 27th May 1918. He was 19 years of age and is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery (VIII D 123) and commemorated on the Dudley Memorial.