GUEST, Donald R

Donald Guest lived in Stourbridge and enlisted in the artillery. He was posted as a Fitter to C Battery, Royal Field Artillery, 153 Brigade in the 36th (Ulster) Division. In 1917 this Division had fought in the Third Battle of Ypres at Langemarck and then at Cambrai. It was during one of these actions that he was awarded the Military Medal. The Brigade was at St. Quentin when the first 1918 German Spring offensive broke through the British lines and again on the Lys at Bailleul and Kemmel when the second offensive arrived. It then retired for reinforcements and reorganisation but returned to the front line for the last stage of the Advance to Victory in Flanders, the Battle of Courtrai. A large three Corps attack opened on the 14th October and the Ulsters burst through the well defended village of Gulleghem, just north of Courtrai itself. However, in the next stage, an attack across the Lys on the 20th October, the Division was caught in the flank by heavy machine gun fire and then by a fierce German counter attack. It is likely that Donald Guest was injured at this point. He was taken back to an Advanced Dressing Station near Ypres where he died of wounds on the 23rd October. Fitter Donald Guest is buried in Duhallow ADS Cemetery (4 J 24) and commemorated on the Stourbridge and St. Thomas's church Memorials.