ELCOCK, William

William Elcock was the son of Mary Ann Elcock and her late husband, John, of 14 Belle Vue, Wordsley, and later of 53 John Street. He volunteered, possibly aged 17, for the Worcesters and joined the 10th (Service) Battalion which was sent to the Western Front. They were in the front line at the start of the 1916 Battle of the Somme and endured the dreadful 1916-17 winter in the same area. William Elcock probably joined the battalion at this time and was sent to the Messines Ridge south of Ypres. In early July, and before the Third Battle of Ypres started, they attacked the German line near Oostaverne and again later in the month. The cost was not high but among the losses was Private William Elcock who was killed in action on the 29th July. He was 19 years of age and is commemorated on the Menin Gate and Wordsley Memorials.