ENNIS, Albert

Albert Ennis was the son of Samson and Alice Ennis of 1 Court, 5 House, Stafford Street, Dudley. He volunteered for the Worcester Territorials and joined the 1/7th battalion who were sent to the Western Front in April 1915. His brother, Jack (John), was in the same platoon. They acquired experience in the front line in Artois and moved to the Somme at H?buterne which was fairly quiet at that time. There were occasional raids and patrols which were used to increase combat experience. On the night of the 12th December the platoon of Albert Ennis was sent out to patrol an area where the responsibility of two brigades had left an awkward salient. Albert Ennis failed to return and Jack Ennis went back into no man's land with two friends to find the lost brother. They searched for three hours, experiencing all the horrors of such a dangerous area, and eventually found him on the trench parapet. He was dead, but they had done their duty. Private Albert Ennis is buried in H?buterne Cemetery (I J 15) and commemorated on the Dudley and St. James church Memorials. Jack and two other brothers, Samson and Samuel, were all killed in action.