WEST MIDLANDS POLICE GREAT WAR MEMORIAL SITE

JOHN RICHARD MADDOCKS                                                                                                                                                   
John Maddocks was born in 1888 in Wolverhampton, the only son of John Richard and Kate Mary Maddocks, but with three older sisters, Florence, Sarah and Kate.  In 1891 the family were living at 32 Pond Lane Wolverhampton.  John had 3 older sisters, Florence (8), Sarah (7) and Kate (4).  His father was a blacksmith.  By 1901 the family had moved to 396 Pleck Road, Walsall and his mother and three sisters worked as leather stitchers.  On leaving school he worked at the offices of Richardson Ltd, Charles Street in Walsall until he joined the Worcester regiment in 1905, serving for seven years in Malta and India.
After his service, John joined the Birmingham Police in May 1913, serving on ‘A’ Division with the warrant number 8298.
On 4th August 1914 he is recalled to Worcestershire Regiment and goes to France on 12th August.  By January John is serving in the trenches south of Ypres when he fell victim to a sniper whilst in the trenches at Spanbroekmolen near Kemmel. Company Sergeant Major P. Bland wrote to his family stating, "At about 8.30 on the morning of 13th January, your son, whilst in the trenches, was hit in the head by one of the enemy's snipers. The doctor was in attendance almost immediately and everything was done that was possible. However, he did not regain consciousness and died about 3pm. We removed him from the trenches after night fall and he is buried here, some way back out of the firing line".  John is buried at Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetary, Ypres.

ALBERT GAVIN MALCOLM

JAMES MAPLES

JOSEPH MARSH

LENTON WILLIAM MARSHALL

WILLIAM HENRY MARSHALL

WILLIAM EDWARD MATTHEWS

PETER McCARTIN

PETER McHALE

RICHARD McHALE

HAROLD WILLIAM MEACHAM

CHARLES JAMES MEADOWS

JAMES MEADOWS

JOHN ROBERT MEARS

WILLIAM MELLORS

ALFRED FREDERICK MERRY

JOHN HENRY MILLS

ALBERT ARTHUR MITCHELL

CECIL MITCHENSON

FRANCIS MONK

CHARLES MOORE

FRANCIS RICHARD MOORE

ARTHUR MOORE

ROGER MORAN

WILLIAM THOMAS MORGAN

JAMES FRANCIS MORONEY

JOHN JOSEPH MORONEY

WILLIAM MORONEY

GEORGE WILLIAM MORRIS                                                                                                                                                  
George was born in the first quarter of 1890 in Thorney, Peterborough.  His parents were John and Elizabeth Rose Morris of 79 Wisbech Road, Thorney, Peterborough.  George had an older brother John Thomas (born c.1885) and a sister Lizzie (c1886).  By 1911 the family was living at Small Holding Farm, Bukehorn Road, Thorney Peterborough, where his father was a foreman and George and his siblings were also employed.  In 1912 George joined Birmingham City Police, on ‘B’ Division with warrant number 8228 and collar number PC B205.
George enlisted in November 1915, alongside a colleague, David Penny, both joining the 2nd Royal Welsh Fusiliers.  By August 1916 George had been promoted to Lance Sergeant.  On Saturday 26th May 1917, David and George's battalion moved from camp at St Leger into the front line trenches, relieving the 6th Northumberland Fusiliers. At 1.55pm the following day the battalion, alongside others, made an attack on the Hindenburg support line between Plumb Lane and Oldenburg Lane.  During the advance however a gap opened up between the Cameronians and the battalion on their left. The enemy worked round through this gap and this eventually led to a wholesale retirement back to the old Hindenburg Line, then the Allied front line. Casualties amounted to 6 officers killed and 4 wounded, 19 other ranks killed with 76 wounded and 59 missing. David was killed, while George was mortally wounded and died the following day.  He is buried in Sunken Road Cemetery Boisleux-St Marc.

ERNEST MORRIS

EDWIN MORRIS

ALEC MOSS

GEORGE MOULDER

ARTHUR SIDNEY MOULES

GEORGE MOUNTFORD

WILLIAM MULVIHILL                                                                                                                                                               
William was born circa 1895 in Creete, County Galway to Pat and Mary Mulvihill.  The family, by 1901, are living at Creggs, Galway, with William's 7 older siblings: Kate 22, Patrick 20, Thomas 18, Martin 16, Michael 13, Mary Ann 11 and James 9.  Their father was a shepherd and the older boys were agricultural labourers.
William joined Birmingham City Police on 28th March 1914, as an 18 year old miner. He served on the ‘D’ division, with collar number D110 and warrant number 8465. He resigned 5th March 1917 to join the Army, assigned to the 1st Irish Guards.
On 1st December 1917, William's battalion undertook a Brigade attack on the Quentin Ridge and Gauche Wood, north of Epehy.  The attack was led by 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards and the 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards at 6.20 am with William's battalion in support. By 7 am the woods had been seized and several counter attacks repulsed, however William's battalion was brought forward at some stage to fill a gap in the front lines. These positions were consolidated with the battalions being relieved the same night. Casualties in William's battalion amounted to 18 men killed and many more wounded.  William was injured, presumably in this attack, but succumbed to his injuries at 21 Casualty Clearing Station in Ytres, France on 3rd December 1917.  He is buried in Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, France.

HERBERT MUNDAY