WOOLDRIDGE, Bert

Bert Wooldridge was one of three brothers who died in the Great War, the others being David and Leonard. Bert was the son of Mrs A Chamberlain of 163 High Street, Lye, and had probably been a pre-war regular soldier in the Worcesters. He served in the 4th Battalion which was at Gallipoli in 1915 and on the Western Front from 1916 to 1918 where it fought on the Somme and at Arras and Cambrai. It suffered severely in the 1918 German Spring offensives but recovered to fight strongly in Flanders during the Advance to Victory. German resistance during their retreat was never less than stubborn and the Worcesters were brought up to the village of Ledeghem to take part in a set battle, later named the Battle of Courtrai. Flanders was at its worst on the 14th October with rain, mud and mist. The Worcesters reached all their objectives but among the eleven men killed in action was Private Bert Wooldridge. He died just three weeks short of the armistice and is buried at Dadizeele New British Cemetery (V C 14) and commemorated on the Lye and Wollescote and Lye church Memorials.