HOLCROFT, Gilbert

Gilbert Holcroft was the oldest son of Sir George and Lady Holcroft of The Grange, Stourbridge, a prominent local industrialist. He was educated at Radley College and Queen's College, Cambridge. At Radley he was a prominent rower and he later rowed for his college at Cambridge. After leaving university he applied to Sandhurst and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Durham Light Infantry. He joined the 2nd Battalion which crossed to France in September 1914 as part of the 6th Division. By October it had moved to Armentieres where it stayed for six months. At the end of May 1915, while the German assaults on Ypres were continuing, the Division was called into action to retake some trenches at Hooge near Sanctuary Wood. On the 8th August the Durhams led a night attack on the complex German trenches. The German resistance was fortified by counter-shelling and for two days some desperate fighting took place among the craters. During this combat Second Lieutenant Gilbert Holcroft was killed in action. He was 21 years of age and is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Stourbridge and Oldswinford church Memorials. His parents provided a special memorial to their son in the church in the form of a bronze wall plaque carrying the DLI regimental badge on the words 'Pro Patria'. The inscription to Gilbert Holcroft concludes with, 'Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life'.