COLEY, John

John Coley attended Halesowen C of E school and enlisted in the Worcester Territorials. He joined the 2/7th Battalion and from May 1916 they spent their time training in Artois. In November they were sent to the Somme and on the 17th they huirriedly took over part of the front line after a British attack had suffered serious casualties. Patrols were sent out, wounded men were retrieved but casualties were taken from enemy shelling. Sergeant John Coley was one of four killed in action on the 18th November 1917 and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and the Halesowen and Halesowen C of E school Memorials.