WESTWOOD, George

George Westwood lived with his sister, Mrs Pitt,  of 96 Moor  Street, Brierley Hill. Prior to the war he was employed at Messrs. Hill and Smith’s Ltd., Brierley Hill Ironworks. He served with the old Volunteers as a bugler and then with the Royal Field Artillery as a trumpeter. When they were disbanded he joined the Staffordshire Yeomanry, in which he served until the 26th October 1914, when he was discharged. He re-enlisted on July 26, 1915 and served successively in the 12th, 10th and 8th Battalions of the Gloucesters. He was promoted to Sergeant and a tribute after his death describes him as ‘always bright, cheerful, and very popular with officers and men alike. The 8th Gloucesters was very active in 1916-17, fighting on the Somme, following the German retirement and contesting the Messines Ridge, during which George Westwood suffered from shell-shock. They joined the September phase of the Third Battle of Ypres and fought in the battle of the Menin Road from 21-26th September. In January 1918 after the battle of Cambrai they stayed close to the Hindenburg line on alert for another German attack. None came until March but Sergeant George Westwood died on the 21st January 1918. He was 30 years of age and is buried in Fifteen Ravine Cemetery, Villers Plouich (Special Memorial B 12) and commemorated on the Brierley Hill and Brierley Hill church Memorials.