BRUTON, Harry

Harry Bruton was the son of Harry and Margaret Bruton of Dudley and was married to Lily of 9 Tinchbourne Street, Dudley. He volunteered for the Worcester Territorials and joined the 1/8th Battalion. They went overseas in April 1915 and saw much action in the next two years in Artois and on the Somme. In the summer of 1917 the Worcesters came back into the front line for the October battles of Third Ypres. At great cost the German troops had been pushed back some way towards Passchendaele and on the 9th October the Battle of Poelcappelle began. A mile to the south of the village and in pouring rain and deep mud the Worcesters attacked at dawn. They made initial progress but the conditions prevented any mobility and many died under fire. Among those killed in action was Private Harry Bruton. He was 38 years of age and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot and Dudley Memorials. His brother, Thomas, was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry and was killed on the 1st September 1918.