HUSSELBEE, Thomas

Thomas Husselbee was born in Kingswinford and enlisted in the Royal Marines. He served in the 2nd Royal Marine Battalion of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division which went to the Western Front in 1916. They were engaged in the last attack in the long drawn out Battle of the Somme in November, taking Grandcourt on the Ancre in miserable weather and against solid German defence. Casualties were heavy and must have included Private Thomas Husselbee. He was possibly wounded but certainly taken prisoner by the Germans. He was taken to a camp near Douai where he died on the 30th April 1917. He was 20 years of age and is buried in Douai Communal Cemetery (H 13) and commemorated on the Wordsley Memorial.