RUBERY, William Ernest

William Rubery was born in Rowley Regis but lived later in Brierley Hill. He volunteered for the South Staffords and was sent to the 1st Battalion on the Western Front, probably in 1915. They fought in the 7th Division and were in the Artois battles of 1915 and the Somme in 1916. The Staffords followed up the withdrawal of the German forces in early 1917 to their newly built defences of the Hindenburg Line. They crossed the battle-scarred terrain as far as Croisilles where the enemy was firmly dug in. The first attempt to take the village was an expensive failure but three days later on the 2nd April they took their objective. The next village was Bullecourt and after two attempts by other units the Staffords were ordered in. They attacked at 3.40 a.m. on the 12th May but German machine guns fire was too powerful for a full advance. Losses were severe and included Private William Rubery. He was commemorated on the Arras, Brierley Hill, and Brierley Hill church Memorials.