DUNN, Ernest

Edward Dunn was the son of Ezra Dunn of 76 Moor Street, Brierley Hill. He worked at the Moor Street Works of the Stourbridge Glazed Brick Company and enlisted on the 1st September 1916. He joined the Royal Field Artillery and after 10 weeks training he went to the Western Front to join the 88th Brigade RFA in the 19th Division. The winter of early 1917 was exceptionally severe and the Division kept guard on the Somme until April when it was transferred to Flanders and Wytschaete ridge near Ypres. Gunner Dunn was injured at this time and returned to England for recovery at Lincoln Military Hospital. He returned to the front line and was probably involved with halting the German Spring offensive of March 1918. The Division certainly fought hard against the second offensive at Messines and Kemmel. However, Gunner Ernest Dunn was seriously wounded in the fighting and sent to the Military Hospital at Boulogne, where he died on the 31st May. He was 21 years of age (he died on his birthday) and is buried in Terlincthun Military Cemetery, Wimille, (Collective Grave 16 A 17), established in June 1918 as an extension of the Boulogne cemeteries. He is commemorated on Brierley Hill and Brierley Hill church Memorials.