RIDES, Thomas

Thomas Rides was the son of James Rides, a glass-maker, of Vine Street, Wordsley. He was a long engaged pre-war regular solder in the 2nd South Staffords stationed at Aldershot in the British Expeditionary Force. On the news of war they mobilised quickly and on the 12th August crossed the Channel to Belgium on their way to Mons. They suffered the retreat to the Marne but saved the Allies by forcing the German army back to the Aisne. When the next enemy attack was directed at Ypres, they moved north to save this key city and after some critical days in late October again helped to stop the enemy advance. They moved to Artois and in March held the flank of the British forces in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and on the 17th May attacked at Festubert. Losses were heavy and more deaths followed in the next month as a result of regular enemy shelling of their trenches. Private Thomas Rides was injured in one of these actions and was taken to the base hospital at Boulogne where he died on the 27th June. He was 37 years of age and is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery (VIII B 51) and commemorated on the Amblecote and Wordsley Memorials.