CORFIELD, Harry

Harry Corfield was the third son of Mr Henry Corfield of Belle Vue, Wordsley, and was married to Lily (later Drew) with three children. He worked for Barker and Osbourne of the Parade, Birmingham and they lived at Handsworth. He enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery and joined D Battery, 70th Company. They went to the Western Front and in April and May 1917 were involved in the Battles of Arras. The first opened with great success on the 9th April but the next attack on the 14th stalled and incurred great loss of men. In late April and May attacks on the Hindenburg Line around Bullecourt were costly and the gunners suffered particularly from German counter-battery shelling on Bullecourt Wood. Gunner Harry Corfield was killed in action on the 14th May. He was 28 years of age and is commemorated on the Arras and Wordsley Memorials.