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A Family at War
The First World War was a time
of change. It affected everyone’s life, and
transformed society forever.
On the home front, work was
freely available for everyone, thanks to the wartime
contacts that led to investment and expansion in the
local factories, which were working flat-out to
complete the essential war work. Darlaston was a
busy place, but many men had joined-up and gone to
war, which led to a shortage of skilled labour.
Their previous rolls were taken over by women who
carried out all kinds of work, from manufacturing
and engineering, to tram and lorry driving. Their
new freedom changed the way that women would be
perceived in the future and led to their
emancipation. |
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The other side of the war,
taking place in Europe, was a very different affair.
Large numbers of men lost their lives, leaving
grieving relatives and divided families behind.
Darlaston War Memorial in Victoria Road carries the
names of 268 of them, who sadly never had the chance
to return to civilian life.
One of the people named on the
war memorial is Joseph Rickhuss who grew up at
number 1 Factory Street, and came from a large
family.
His parents John and Martha
Rickhuss had five sons, John, Joseph, William, Noah,
Jerry, and two daughters, Nancy and Laura.
Three of the sons, John,
Joseph, and Noah enlisted, and went abroad to fight
in the war. Private John Rickhuss enlisted in 1914,
soon after hostilities began. He had the misfortune
of being on a ship that was torpedoed by the enemy,
but luckily was picked-up by a destroyer. He served
in Egypt and the British campaign in Salonika. |
Mrs Martha Rickhuss and her
two daughters, Nancy and Laura. |
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Noah Rickhuss. |
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John Rickhuss. |
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Joseph Rickhuss. |
Noah Rickhuss, who was a nut maker,
enlisted on 2nd February, 1915 at the age of nineteen and a
half, and served as a driver with the 5th Division, and the
19th Battery of the Royal Field Artillery in France and
Belgium.
He received one shilling and two and a
half pence pay each day. Before his final return home at the
end of hostilities, he got married. His wife Florence lived
at number 130 The Green.
Private Joseph Rickhuss enlisted in
1915, possibly in March. Unfortunately he was not as lucky
as his two brothers. He served with the 8th Battalion of the
Leicester Regiment in France and Belgium, and lost his life
on the Somme, at the village of Epehy.
The village was freed from the enemy in
April 1917, but retaken in March 1918 after a spirited
defence by the Leicester Brigade of the 21st Division and
the 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers. It remained in enemy hands
until the Battle of Epehy, which took place on 18th
September, 1918. |
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Joseph Rickhuss lost his life whilst
serving with the 21st Division on 21st March, 1918. He is
buried at Epehy Wood Farm Cemetery where there are 997 war
graves. |
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Joseph Rickhuss's grave at Epehy
Wood Farm Cemetery. |
Private John Henry Whitehouse
| Another name on Darlaston's War Memorial is J.
H. Whitehouse. Private 6867 Whitehouse of A
Company, 2nd Battalion, Scottish Rifles, was killed
in action on 18th January, 1915. His parents were
William and Rebecca Whitehouse of Darlaston.
Private Whitehouse, from
the 'Picture World' 4th March, 1915. Courtesy of
Christine and John Ashmore. |
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| Private John
Henry Whitehouse. He lived at 42 Tilley Street,
Darlaston with his wife and children. Courtesy of
Christine and John Ashmore. |
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John Henry
Whitehouse, his wife Mary Jane (né
Holder), and their children. Courtesy of
Christine and John Ashmore. |
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John Henry Whitehouse and some of his
comrades. Courtesy of Christine and John Ashmore. |
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Another casualty, also listed on
Darlaston War Memorial is Private Enoch Burns of the South
Staffordshire Regiment, who died in France.
Courtesy of Christine and John Ashmore.
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| Corporal Alfred Wright Alfred
Wright was born in Birmingham in 1894. By 1911 the family
had moved to 179 Franchise Street, King's Hill. He was
killed in action at Ypres in Belgium on 19th October, 1917.
Because King's Hill was part of Wednesbury until 1966,
his name does not appear on Darlaston War Memorial. It
appears on Wednesbury War Memorial as A. W. Wright.
I have to thank the Wright family
for permission to use the photo.
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A cutting from an unknown newspaper, reporting Corporal
Wright's death. Courtesy of the
Wright family. |
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Second Lieutenant Christopher St.
John Tyrer. |
Second Lieutenant Christopher St. John Tyrer of the
Royal Warwickshire Regiment was the third son of the
Rev. Frank Tyrer. He lived in the Vicarage at Moxley and
was killed in action in France on 22nd July, 1916 by a
shell. He joined-up with his three brothers and had
hoped to go into the church like his father.
His name can be found on Moxley War Memorial. |
| Private Eric Tyrer of the Royal Warwickshire
Regiment was killed in action on 28th August, 1916, at
the age of 24. He was the second son of the Rev. Frank
Tyrer of Moxley, and had hoped, like his brother
Christopher, to go into the church.
His name can be found on Moxley War Memorial. |
Private Eric Tyrer. |
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