Tag Archives: Bridgnorth

Albert John Broadfield

07 Thursday Mar 2019

Posted by in Daily life, Front Line, Home front, Men who served

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Albert was born in Bridgnorth on 5 July 1876, the son of Sarah and Richard Broadfield. On 31 July 1898, he married Rebecca Wilkes at St Mary’s Church, Wolverhampton. In 1901 they were living at 62 Bush Street, Wolverhampton, along with their son, Albert Howard C. Albert was working as a maltster. By 1911, they had another son, Leslie William, and were living at 27 Hilton Street, Wolverhampton. Albert was now a foreman maltster for a brewery.

On 15 June 1918, at the age of 42, Albert enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps (number 153577). His address was given as 89 Hilton Street, Springfields, and he was working as a clerk. Because of his age, it was stated that he was “Not to be placed in a Medical Category higher than B at any time during his Service.” He was posted for duty at Fusehill War Hospital in Carlisle. He was discharged in August 1919. In addition to his military service, he also served locally in Wolverhampton as a special constable during the First World War.

By 1939, he was living with his son Leslie and his wife at 30 Ribbesford Avenue, Wolverhampton, working as a brewers transport clerk. Albert died in Wolverhampton in 1956.

Daniel Sampson Onions

23 Saturday Jun 2018

Posted by in Front Line, Men who served

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Daniel was born in Bridgnorth in 1897, the son of Samuel Thomas and Phoebe Onions. By 1901, they were living at 9 Beacon Street, Sedgley, with Daniel’s brothers James Beaconsfield, John Arthur Balfour, Samuel Thomas, Charles Henry and George Frederick. By 1911 they were at 152 Caledonian Street, Wolverhampton, and Daniel had two additional siblings, Phoebe Sarah and Joseph Edwin. Daniel attended the Higher Grade and Technical Schools in Wolverhampton.

On 22 June 1915, he enlisted with the Royal Engineers (service number 103777). He became a Wireless Operator Learner, and was later a Pioneer and then a Sapper. By June 1915, his trade was clerk. He qualified as a Proficient Telegraphist on 19 May 1916. He served both at home and with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force with the Wireless Section at Giza. On 9 February 1918 he was sent home from hospital as being no longer physically fit for war service following sickness, and was discharged on 2 March 1918. On 16 February 1918 he was issued with a Silver War Badge (number 336114).

Daniel married Alice Lawley in Aston in 1918, and the couple had four sons – Raymond (1919 in Aston), Kenneth (1921), Maurice G. (1923) and Malcolm S. (1931) – the latter three being born in Wolverhampton. Daniel died at St George’s Hospital, Stafford, on 29 July 1965, by which date his address was 6 Vauxhall House, Vauxhall Avenue, Wolverhampton. The value of his effects was £289.

The mystery of Rudolph Buckley Lister

17 Thursday May 2018

Posted by in Front Line, Men who served

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Rudolph was born in Leeds on 1 May 1894 (although his birth registration has his first name as “Randolph), the son of William Holiacher and Alice Lister. He was baptised in Burley, Yorkshire, on 12 July 1899. In 1901, he was living with his grandmother, Caroline Smith, and mother, at 64 Frier Street, Bridgnorth, Shropshire. By 1911, he was visiting the home of Florence Susanna Cooper at 72 Kimberley Road, Chesterton, Cambridgeshire. By this date, the 15-year-old Rudolph had become a stores hand.

Rudolph served as a Private with the Cambridgeshire Regiment (number 3405), and with the Suffolk Regiment (number 32619). He first served in France from 28 September 1915. He was awarded the Military Medal, but he was killed in action in France on 28 August 1918. He is buried at Gomiecourt South Cemetery in France.

The mystery is the fact that his name appears on the Wolverhampton Roll of Remembrance, yet I have so far found no connection to Wolverhampton, either from him or his family. The only assumption I can make is that he moved to Wolverhampton to work in between 1911 and the outbreak of war breaking out. If anybody is able to find out more information I would love to hear it!

Wolverhampton Volunteer Rifle Corps

26 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by in Home front, Men who served

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We have in our collections in the Archives a book entitled Wolverhampton Volunteer Rifle Corps at Burwarton Camp 1915, which contains photographs and a potted history of the Corps.

The Wolverhampton Rifle Corps was inaugurated on 7 September 1914. This was part of the drive to ensure that, in the rush of men joining the Army and Territorial forces, there was still a military presence to assist with defence of the home soil. Early on, the “Rifles” held various instructional musters in the Territorial Drill Hall and the National Reserve Headquarters. They were also active on Sunday afternoons, doing field exercises, marches and trench construction. Firing practice also took place at Patshull Rifle Club. Initially, men who joined the Corps were those who were ineligible for military service at that time, but who were keen to contribute to the war effort.

From 1915 onwards, the Corps decided to become an officers’ training corps and to act as a mobile column, and many men who later joined the Army started off with the Rifle Corps. Part of the Association of Volunteer Training Corps, the Wolverhampton Corps was one of the first in England to “appear in public fully uniformed, armed with Service rifles, and equipped.” This is fairly remarkable, given that the costs of the equipment were being met by the individual members of the Corps.

Burwarton Camp was a training event organised in August 1915. The group assembled at Bridgnorth in Shropshire (apparently attracting “great interest” from “the people attending the weekly market”), before parading nine miles to the camp at Burwarton. Once there, the platoons were able to take refreshments, before digging trenches round all the tents. Whilst at the camp, the Corps were involved in marching, manoeuvres, bayonet practice and other training. Both the Mayor-elect of Wolverhampton and the MP for Wolverhampton West took time out to visit the troops during their stay. For those interested in the Corps, there are many interesting photographs in the book. A more detailed history of Volunteer forces across the Black Country has been provided by the Black Country Bugle.

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