WARREN, William Edward

William Warren was the son of Percy and Kate Warren of Hill Street, Brierley Hill. He was one of the students at the Brierley Hill Art School and regarded as particularly gifted. He enlisted in the South Staffords but was soon transferred to the 8th (Service) Battalion of the Gloucesters. They had gone to the Western Front in 1915 and were in the front line at La Boisselle for the first day of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. For three days the enemy in the ruined village held out but eventually it was taken. After reinforcements had arrived the Gloucesters were involved in the struggle for High Wood. From the 20th to the 26th July the costly battle went on and the Wood was not won. For the final attack of the long battle the Gloucesters returned for the battle of the Ancre in November. They were the first battalion to enter Grandcourt but among the seriously wounded was Private William Warren. He was taken to the base hospital at Boulogne with serious injuries including multiple wounds to his thigh, back and body. His father was determined to see him and made the difficult journey to his bed-side, but he died of wounds on the 28th December. He was 20 years of age and is buried in Wimereux Communal Cemetery (II B 15) and commemorated on the Brierley Hill and Brierley Hill church Memorials. The Art School decided to commemorate him with a framed picture of one of his drawings of the head of a knight in armour. It remains at Brierley Hill Library, though only in the map cabinet.