BRIDGWATER, John Thomas

John Bridgwater (or Bridgewater as in CWGC list) lived at Cradley and attended Cradley C of E school. He was possibly serving as a regular soldier in the 4th Battalion in Burma at the outbreak of war. They went to Gallipoli in April 1915 and both from the Turks and the rugged conditions suffered heavy casualties. In 1916 they evacuated Gallipoli and moved to the Western Front to fight on the Somme. They were engaged on the first day, 1st July, at Beaumont Hamel, were prominent in the October battles for the Transloy ridges and were still there in December. Private John Bridgewater was killed in action on the 10th December, probably as a result of enemy shelling, and is commemorated on the Thiepval, Cradley, Halesowen and Cradley C of E School Memorials.