WESTWOOD, Frederick W

Frederick Westwood attended Hasbury C of E School and volunteered for the Worcesters. He went to the newly formed 9th (Service) Battalion and was sent out to Gallipoli in August 1915. The original landings had turned into a stalemate which the new landings could not break. After the evacuation of the peninsula the 9th went to Mesopotamia to continue the war with the Turks. The campaign began at the start of April 1916. They went up the Tigris by boat and reached the Hanna line, the first Turkish line of trenches, on the 4th April. The surprise attack was immediately successful but the Turks had already withdrawn to a second line. It was decided to attack immediately without reconnaissance but the Turkish resistance was effective and the Worcesters took many casualties. Among them was Private Frederick Westwood who was killed in action on this day. He is commemorated on the Basra, Halesowen and Hasbury C of E School Memorials.