TUNLEY, Albert

Albert Tunley was the son of George and Elizabeth Tunley of 11 Little Cottage Street, Brierley Hill. He was a member of the local Congregational chapel and its Young Men’s Bible Class. He belonged to the Delph troop of Baden Powell Scouts and was Assistant Scoutmaster. He belonged to England’s Pride Lodge of the International Order of Good Templars and worked as a glass-cutter for Stevens and Williams. He was sent to the West Kents and joined the 7th (Service) Battalion. After valiant fighting on the Somme in 1916 the West Kents were in the front line for the Third Battle of Ypres of 1917 which opened on the 1st July. They were at Sanctuary Wood, Inverness Copse and Glencorse Wood for the huge struggle of the first few days of battle and it was here that Private Albert Tunley received severe wounds, ironically in a bombing accident which wounded him and killed two others. He was sent to the base hospital at St Omer, where he died on the 18th August. He was 19 years of age and is buried in Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery (IV D 32), where his comrades placed a beautiful wreath. He is commemorated on the Brierley Hill and Brierley Hill church Memorials.