WILEY, Wilfred

Wilfred Wiley was born in Lye and enlisted in Stourbridge. He went to the 2/5th Territorial Battalion of the Gloucesters in the 61st (2nd South Midland) Division. They went to France in May 1916, suffered a heavy defeat in July and returned to the front line for the 1917 Third Battle of Ypres. In the Spring of 1918 they were unfortunate enough to experience both the first and second great Spring offensives and suffered heavy casualties. They were reorganised in time to take part in the last stage of the Advance to Victory in October and helped in the crossing of the Selle on the 25th October and the Sambre on the 1st November. It was virtually the last action of the Great War but Private Wilfred Wiley was killed in action on the 2nd November. He is buried in Crossroads Cemetery, Fontaine au Bois (III A 2), and commemorated on the Lye and Wollescote and Lye church Memorials.