DYKE, John

John Dyke lived in Oldswinford and was a Kitchener volunteer in the early days of the war. He joined the 8th (Service) Battalion of the South Staffords who went to France on the 4th July 1915. They were involved in major fighting at Ypres in 1915 and on the Somme in 1916. The Third Battle of Ypres opened on the 31 July but it was not until October that the Staffords were ordered in. The Battalion was situated in front of Ypres and was ordered to attack the German trenches near Pilckem. The German opposition had good defences in depth and were prepared to fight for every yard of ground. On the 12th October the Staffords attacked at 5.30 a.m. behind a creeping barrage and in cold and wet weather. They reached their objectives, but at great cost. They moved out of the front line, but remained vulnerable to long range shelling. Corporal John Dyke was killed in the trenches on the 19th November, probably from random shelling. He was 24 years of age and is buried at Solferino Farm Cemetery, Brielen (II B 24) and commemorated on the Stourbridge and Oldswinford church Memorials.