HIGHFIELD, William George

William Highfield was born at Compton and was living at 17 The Delph, Brierley Hill. In 1914 he was a stoker at Stourbridge Gas Works. He joined the South Staffords Territorials and served in the 2/5th Battalion which went to the Western Front in 1916. In September 1917 they entered the Third Battle of Ypres for the struggle around Wieltje and suffered heavily. On the 24th November at Cambrai they moved into the front line after the remarkable success of the first days of the battle. However, the German counter-attack of the 30th was fierce and in Bourlon Wood the South Staffords were subjected to a merciless barrage of both high explosive and mustard gas shells. They suffered heavily and on this occasion it was from the effects of the heavy barrage of gas shells They stayed in the front line trenches until late December. Acting Sergeant William Highfield was seriously wounded at some point and taken to a Casualty Clearing Station, The Chaplain wrote to his family that both legs were seriously broken and that he had died of wounds. He is buried at Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, (VII E 19) and commemorated on the Brierley Hill and Brierley Hill church Memorials and the Delph District Roll of Honour.