KENYON, John

John Kenyon was the son of John and Annie Kenyon of 15 Rectory Street, Wordsley. He enlisted in the South Staffordshire Territorials and was transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the Essex Regiment. This battalion was in the 4th Division and involved in almost every battle on the Western Front from 1914 to 1918. It was in the front line for two of the great German Spring offensives of 1918, fighting at Arras in March and Hazebrouck in April. By late April the German advance had been finally halted but it was probably in this last struggle that Private John Kenyon was killed on the 23rd April. He was 21 years of age and is commemorated on the Loos and Wordsley Memorials.