MANTLE, Joseph

Joseph Mantle was born at Colley Gate, Cradley, and attended Colley Lane School. He was a keen member of the Colley Lane United Methodists, a Sunday School teacher and President of the Band of Hope. He moved to Manchester to work in the gas department of the Corporation and enlisted in the 1/6th Manchesters in 1916. They had spent 1915 at Gallipoli and 1916 in Egypt. In 1918 they were on the Western Front and suffered badly in the first German Spring Offensive. After reorganisation they returned to the stabilised front line in July but this was still a war of shells and bombs. At some point Private Joseph Mantle was severely wounded and he was taken to the military hospital at Rouen where he died. He is buried in St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen (Q 3 J 26) and commemorated on the Cradley and Halesowen Memorials.