WESTWOOD, David

David Westwood was the adopted son of Mr and Mrs Hodgson of Top Grange Lodge, Oldswinford. He had worked as a blacksmith for Messrs Hill and Sutton of Wollescote and in 1914 was a reservist who volunteered for his former regiment. He went to the 9th (Service) Battalion which sailed to reinforce the troops at Gallipoli where the campaign had reached a stale-mate. After continued lack of success the Worcesters were evacuated from the Gallipoli peninsula in January 1916, only to be sent to Mesopotamia to continue the war against the Turkish Empire. Their immediate task was to rescue General Townsend's small force besieged at Kut. They advanced up the Tigris but Turkish resistance was strong. Early in April they had reached Sannaiyat but a final attempt to break through from the 16-20th April failed and Kut fell, Private David Westwood was killed in action on the 20th April and is commemorated on the Basra and Lye and Wollescote Memorials.