HEWITT, Joseph

Joseph Hewitt was born in Lye but later lived with Edith, his wife, at 103 Bank Street, Brierley Hill. He enlisted in the Worcesters and, probably in 1917, was sent to the 14th Battalion, the Pioneers of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. They had fought on the Somme for the last battle of the long saga of 1916 and in 1917 they were called on to conclude the Third Battle of Ypres. Three attacks on the Paddebeek and its fortified farms were made with little success in the atrocious weather of October and November. In March 1918 they were in the trenches near the Hindenburg Line and faced the first German Spring offensive. For five days they fought a defensive battle but were forced back across the old Somme battle-field. They returned to the front line on the 5th May at Aveluy Wood near Albert and were engaged in near constant artillery combat with the enemy. Private Joseph Hewitt was probably wounded by shell-fire and taken to a Casualty Clearing Station. He died of wounds on the 15th May and is buried in Acheux Cemetery (I D 1). He was 26 years of age and is commemorated on the Brierley Hill, Lye and Wollescote, Brierley Hill church and Lye church Memorials.