TOMKINS, John

John Tomkins was the son of John and Mary Tomkins of Wordsley and was married to Alice of School House, High Street, Wordsley. He enlisted in the South Staffords and was sent to the 7th (Service) Battalion which had been very active on the Western Front since 1916 on the Somme and in Flanders. In the German Spring offensives of March and April 1918 the La Bassée sector of Artois was by-passed by the enemy which struck both north and south of their position. However, six months later they came up to the Hindenburg Line during the Advance to Victory. For this final offensive the Staffords were attached to the Canadian Corps who were to break through the Line near Cambrai. For the first phase on the 28th September they were in reserve and passed north of Cambrai under heavy shell-fire. On the 4th October the Staffords were in outposts in the front line and here they suffered some casualties. One of these was Private John Tomkins who is buried in Haynecourt British Cemetery (II B 23) and commemorated on the Wordsley Memorial.