HEATH, Alfred

Alfred Heath was a pre-war regular soldier in the Worcesters who had lived in Cradley. In 1914 he was probably a reservist who was called up on the declaration of war on the 4th August to join the 3rd Battalion. They landed in France on the 12th August, advanced to Mons and then retreated to the Marne. The Battle of the Maene prevented an immediate victory in the war and was followed by an advance to the river Aisne. The German attack then switched to Artois and the Worcesters moved rapidly to stop the enemy at the Battle of La Bassée. Private Alfred Heath was seriously wounded around this time and returned to England to a military hospital where he died of wounds on the 23rd November. He was 26 years of age and is buried in Halesowen Cemetery (E 163) and commemorated on the Cradley and Halesowen Memorials. His brother, William, was in the same battalion and was killed in June 1915.