Tags
France, Joseph Colley, Moseley Village, Portobello, Remount Squadron, South Staffordshire Regiment, Stowheath Lane, Thomas Colley, Willenhall, Willenhall Road
The brother of James, Joseph was born in 1887, and Thomas was born on 7 May 1882, both in Wolverhampton. In 1901, the family were living at a furnace yard on Wolverhampton Road, Willenhall. The household consisted of parents Henry and Ann Maria, and sons Henry, Thomas, Joseph and James. By 1911, only Joseph (now a general laboruer at an iron works) and James were still living with their parents, at Willenhall Road, Portobello.
Thomas married Sarah Ann Hopley on 25 December 1902 at St Stephen’s Church, Willenhall. By 1911, they had four sons of their own – Henry (1903), Thomas (1904), James (1906) and Albert (1909) – and were living at 6 Stowheath Lane, Moseley Village, Portobello. Thomas was a mould steeler at an iron foundry. They had two further children – Ellen (1912) and Beatrice (1915). On 28 June 1915, Thomas enlisted in the 55th Remount Squadron (service number 111581), but was discharged on 2 July 1915 as “not being likely to become an efficient soldier”.
Joseph enlisted with the 1st/6th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 5227, and later 241719). Like James, he unfortunately did not survive the war, and was killed in action in France on 28 April 1918. He is buried at the Beuvry Communal Cemetery Extension in France.
