SHORT, Richard

Richard Short was the son of Mr P. Short of Clent and was the Superintendent of Stourbridge Cemetery from 1913 to 1917. He lived with his family at Cemetery House, Cross Road, Stourbridge. He enlisted in January 1917 in the Worcesters and was then transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. In February 1918 he was posted back to the Worcesters and the 4th Battalion. In the Spring of 1918 they faced the second of the great German Spring offensives, the battle of the Lys. From the 9th April they were driven back over the previous year's hard won Messines Ridge until the German attack faded. After a month of inactivity at Hazebrouck a raid was ordered for the 15th June on the German line at Tern Farm near the village of Vieux Berquin. German resistance was greater than expected and casualties were suffered. Among the missing was Private Richard Short. It was not until March 1919 that his wife was officially informed that he had been killed in action. He was 34 years of age and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert, Stourbridge and St. Thomas's church Memorials.