TOLLEY, Edward

Edward Tolley was the son of Soloman and Ann Tolley of 1 Stores Inn, Delph, Brierley Hill. He peobably enlisted in 1916 and was sent to the Lincolnshire Regiment. He served in the 10th Battalion in the 34th Division. After serious fighting in the 1916 Battle of the Somme they took part in the 1917 Battle of Arras starting on the 9th April. Major advances were made on the first day but subsequent attempts to penetrate the strong defences of the Hindenburg Line were unsuccessful. The last action of the Arras Battle was the attack on the Roeux chemical works. The Lincolns had a difficult advance to make and were caught by heavy enemy machine gun fire. Their brave efforts were frustrated and among the casualties was Private Edward Tolley. He was 38 years of age and is buried in Roeux British Cemetery (Sp Mem G 8) and commemorated on the Brierley Hill Memorial and the Delph District Roll of Honour.