WASSELL, Harry

Harry Wassell was born in Rowley but was living in Blackheath by 1914. He volunteered for the South Staffords and joined the 1/5th Territorial Battalion. They went to France in May 1915 and fought at the Hohenzollern Redoubt in October, the Somme in 1916 and at the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917. At the start of 1918 they were in Artois near the Hohenzollern Redoubt again. It was a harsh winter but raids were undertaken and German artillery was always active. Private Harry Wassell was killed in action on the 20th February and is buried in Lapugnoy Military Cemetery (VII B 2) near Bethune and commemorated on the Blackheath and Halesowen Memorials.