KIRTON, Albert

Albert Kirton lived in Cradley and volunteered for the Worcesters. He went to the 10th (Service) Battalion which crossed to France in 1915. They were sent to Artois and endured the winter of 1915-16 in trenches near Festubert. After re-training they were among those battalions selected for the first day of the Somme on the 1st July. After the first waves had made little progress the 10th were held until the 3rd July for the delivery of an assault on the village of La Boisselle and its neighbour, Ovillers. It was a daunting proposition but at heavy cost the German defenders of La Boisselle were cleared and Private Fred Turrall was awarded the Victoria Cross. Among the many killed on that day were five Halesowen men, all commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. Among them was Private Albert Kirton who is also commemorated on the Cradley and Halesowen Memorials.