CHARLES ROAD

 

49 Charles Road 

HARRINGTON James

Rank : Private
Regiment : 8th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment
Service number : 36659
Conflict : WW1
Date of death : 3rd December 1916 aged 27
Buried : Becourt Military Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt, France, Grave I. F. 9.
Relatives : Son of Mrs B. Harrington, 49 Charles Rd., Stourbridge
Memorial : Stourbridge War Memorial
Also appears on : Stourbridge Our Lady and All Saints Roman Catholic Church with the additional information: 8th R. Berks. 3 Dec. 1916
Credits : Researched by The Black Country Society.

Details:
 

James Harrington volunteered for the Worcesters, but was later transferred, possibly as a result of injury, to the 8th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment in the 1st Division.  

After the Battle of the Somme started, they came up to the front line on the 14th July for the second phase at Bazentin Ridge.  They were involved again in the battle for the Pozieres Ridge in August and at Morval in September.  They were still there after the battle was officially over in December.

There was frequent shelling and occasional patrols and, on the 3rd December, Private James Harrington was killed in action.  

His cousin, Joseph, was killed in action on the 12th April 1917.

 

 

 

 

 

45 Charles Road  

TOMPKINS James William

Rank : Private
Regiment : 4th Squadron Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry)
Service number : 105089
Conflict : WW1
Date of death : 20th February 1919 aged 28
Buried : Stourbridge Cemetery, Worcestershire, England, Grave D. 820.
Relatives : Son of James and Ann W. Tomkins, 45 Charles Rd., Stourbridge
Memorial : Stourbridge War Memorial
Also appears on : Stourbridge St Thomas's Church.
Credits : Researched by The Black Country Society. Cathedral Roll of honour books researched by Sandra Taylor.

Details:
 

James Tompkins was the son of James and Ann Tompkins.

He enlisted in the Machine Gun Corps and was sent to the 4th Cavalry Squadron. In 1918 this unit was in the 2nd Cavalry Division which had a distinguished role in the Advance to Victory. It was present at the second battle of Bapaume in August, the battle of the Canal du Nord in September, the pursuit to the Selle in October and the Battle of the Sambre in November.

Private James Tompkins died, either of wounds or sickness.