John William Bennett was born in 1895 to Annie. On the 1901 census, Annie and John are living in Lichfield Road with Annie’s father Daniel. John attended Richard Clarke School from March 1899. The 1911 census finds John living and working for Mr Hill at Ashbrook Farm, Bromley Hurst. His occupation was Milk Lad. When war broke out John enlisted at Lichfield and joined the Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire) Battalion no. 5389. Nothing is known about John’s military life but sadly on the 9th February 1917, he was wounded and taken to 44 Casualty Clearing Station at Puchevillers and died from his wounds. John lies in the Puchevillers British Cemetery, France. In the Staffordshire Advertiser dated 22nd February 1919 his Aunt writes:-In loving memory of John William Bennett of Bromley Hurst, Abbots Bromley, who died in France aged 21.’I think I see his smiling face, as he bade his last good-bye, and left his home forever, in a distant land to die; But the hardest part is yet to come, when the heroes all return, And we miss among the cheering crowds the face of our dear one’ RIP John William Bennett.
Walter Brown was born in 1884 to Walter and Ann Brown. Walter attended Richard Clarke School from the 6th of January 1891. After leaving school Walter got a job working for Mr Wilson at the Butchers shop in Bagot Street. In 1911 he was working for another butcher in Uttoxeter. When war broke out Walter enlisted in Lichfield with the Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regt). During his military service, Walter was promoted to Corporal. Sadly, on the 24th of September 1917, Walter was Killed in Action at age 33. Corp. Brown is Remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. His mother Ann who by then had remarried to Mr Charles S Bagnall received the dreaded telegram. RIP Walter Brown