BEAVON John

John Beavon lived at 12 Hemplands Road, Stourbridge, and was a member of the Roman Catholic Church in Stourbridge.  He volunteered for the Worcesters and was sent to the 9th (Service) Battalion along with many Stourbridge men.  After their training the new battalion joined the 13th Division and was ordered to Gallipoli – a far cry from Stourbridge. They went to reinforce the troops who had landed in April 1915 but who had not been able to breach the Turkish defences.  The Worcesters’ experiences on the Gallipoli peninsula were frustrating and unpleasant and the whole force was evacuated in December 1915. They did not return to Britain, however, but continued the struggle against the Turks in Mesopotamia (Iraq) and, of pressing urgency, attempted to rescue General Townsend’s small force besieged at Kut on the Tigris.  The relief force failed and Townsend’s men went into captivity.  The next advance was left until cooler weather and the crucial attack on Kut was made by the Worcesters on the 25th January 1916.  Kut fell the next day but 107 men had been killed, including six Stourbridge men one of whom was Private John Beavon.