FARLEY, Edward

Edward Farley lived with his wife at 13 Angel Street, Dudley, and volunteered for the Worcesters. He served in the 10th (Service) Battalion which fought on the Western Front from 1915. They were sent to Artois and endured the winter of 1915-16 in trenches near Festubert. After re-training they were among those battalions selected for the first day of the Somme on the 1st July. After the first waves had made little progress the 10th were held until the 3rd July for the delivery of an assault on the village of La Boisselle and its neighbour, Ovillers. It was a daunting proposition but at heavy cost the German defenders of La Boisselle were cleared and Private Fred Turrall was awarded the Victoria Cross. Among the many killed on that day were several Dudley men. Private Edward Farley was seriously injured and sent to the military hospital at Rouen. He died of wounds on the 13th July and is buried in St Sever Military Cemetery (A 26 4) and commemorated on the Dudley Memorial.