COLLEY, Henry

Henry Colley was the son of Thomas and Eliza Colley of Brierley Hill and later of Standhills House, a farm in Bromley Lane. He attended the Wesleyan church. He enlisted in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and joined the 12th Battalion. In 1916 they were very involved in the Battle of the Somme. They attacked just after the start, attacked at Delville Wood and remained there during the wet winter. In March they tooka major part in following up the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. They could go no further when they had reached to complex defences of wire and trenches. In early April the King’s were at Bullecourt and ever alert to shelling but it was shrapnel that killed two men on the 12th June. One was Private Henry Colley who was 19 years of age and is commemorated on the Arras and Kingswinford Memorials. Thomas and Eliza Colley sent six sons to war. Some were injured but Henry died.