CARTWRIGHT, John Thomas

John Cartwright enlisted as a regular soldier in the Grenadiers and was in the Reserve at the start of the Great War. He was living with his wife at 2 Little Cottage Street and working at the Round Oak Iron Works. He was also a well known boxer and athlete. He was called up, left home on the 5th August and re-joined the 3rd Grenadiers. They retained their London duties until July 1915 when they moved to the Western Front and took part in the September Battle of Loos. They fought on the Somme in September 1916, achieving major success at Morval and Lesboeufs. In 1917 they followed up the rtreat of German forces to the Hindenburg Line and then moved to Flanders for the planned Third Battle of Ypres. Heavy artillery bombardment of the enemy line near Boesingue started on the 16th July and, inevitably, there was a strong enemy reply. There were some casualties and they included John Cartwright. With the exception of a short period of leave he had served continuously until wounded. This was the first occasion in his long period of active service that the gallant soldier met with an injury when shrapnel hit his spine. He survived an operation at a Casualty Clearing Station but died on the 17th July. Sergeant John Cartwright is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery (IV A 43) and commemorated on the Brierley Hill and Brierley Hill church Memorials.