FARLEY, Thomas

Private Farley was born in Stratford but had moved to Stourbridge by 1814. He was married to Maria and lived at 99 Upper High Street, Lye. He enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery and was transferred to the 1st Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment serving on the Western Front. In 1915 they had been fighting at Ploegsteert and Prowse Point but in late June 1916 they marched into the front line on the Somme. From the first day on the Somme this battalion fought alongside the 3rd Worcesters in the attempt to capture the Leipzig Salient on the Thiepval Ridge. Private Thomas Farley was seriously wounded when carrying supplies to the front line. He was brought back to England where he died on the 28th July. He was 33 years of age and is buried in Lye Cemetery (D K 14) and commemorated on the Lye and Wollescote and Lye church Memorials.