2nd Lieut Dudley Hammond Black

• Age: 28
• From: Ventnor, Isle of Wight
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 8th May 1918
• Commemorated at: Tyne Cot Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 31-34

Dudley Hammond Black was born in 1890 in Kensington, London and was the son of Thomas Fraser Black and his wife Annie. His parents married in 1887 in London.

Fox School, Kensington has an admission for Dudley Black born 21st October 1890. He left the school on 28th July 1894. His father shown as Thomas of 14 St Anne Street.

On the 1891 census the family are co-habiting at 9 William Street, Kensington. Father Thomas is missing, wife Annie 33 b.Suffolk, children Ethel J. 1 b.London, Dudley H. 5 months b.London.

On the 1894 Electoral Roll, Dudley's father, Thomas Fraser Black was living at 14 Mount View Road, Crouch Hill, London

The census from 1901 records that Thomas and Annie Black, with their children including Dudley aged 10, are at 1, Blendworth Terrace, Ventnor. Thomas Black is a Butler (domestic).

The Census of 1911 shows Dudley Hammond Black, aged 20, is a Boarder with the Cutland family at 22 Middle Road, Westbourne, Bournemouth. Dudley Black is a Grocer's Assistant. 

He served originally as 1825 in the Royal Fusiliers and 129093 in the Royal Engineers before obtaining his commission and was attached to the 20^th Battalion.

The Isle of Wight Mercury reported

Friday, September 28, 1917 Page 1 

Dudley H. Black, of this town, has been gazetted to a 2nd Lieutenancy in the King's Liverpool Regiment, and leaves the town to-day (Friday) to join his new regiment at Pembroke.

Following the disbandment of the 20th Battalion he was serving in D Company of the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as a 2^nd Lieutenant when he was killed in action on the 08^th May 1918 aged 28 during the German Spring Offensive.

The 17th Battalion were at this time in the Vierstraat Sector. the diary reports that the day passed quietly until the afternoon.

The front line ran through Klein Vierstraat Cabaret. At 4.30 pm it was reported that the Germans had advanced and were now in " our original front line". At 7.10 pm A and B company's of the 17th Battalion were ordered to move forward in artillery formation from support line with object of co-operating with French troops who were advancing towards the enemy. At 08.10 pm the advance was reported to be going well on the left but nothing could be seen on the right. The situation at the end of the day was that the 17th Battalion were holding the line alongside several other units but casualties were heavy. Captain Norman Henry and Second Lieutenant Dudley Hammond Black were killed in action alongside 17 other ranks.    

He was initially reported Wounded and Missing on 08th May 1918. Miss Alice M. Dearling (relationship unknown), 34 Lyndhurst Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, contacted the International Red Cross, but was notified in a reply dated 27th June 1918 that they held no information on Dudley.  A further enquiry received the same negative response on 22nd November 1918.

Dudley's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after August 16th 1917 are named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war.

The Tyne Cot Memorial now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Joseph Armitage and F.V. Blundstone, was unveiled by Sir Gilbert Dyett on 20 June 1927.

The memorial forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery, which was established around a captured German blockhouse or pill-box used as an advanced dressing station.

The Isle of Wight Mercury reported

Friday, June 28, 1918 Page 2 

Mr. and Mrs. Black, 97, High Street, Ventnor, whose son, Lieutenant Dudley Hammond Black, King's Liverpool Regt., has been missing for some time, have received information from the Red Cross at Geneva that his name has not yet appeared on the lists of prisoners which are transmitted from Germany.

Friday, December 27, 1918 Page 3 

The sad news was received on Christmas Eve from the British Red Cross Society that 2nd Lieut. Dudley Hammond Black, 20th Batt., King's Liverpool Regt., died shortly after he was wounded on the 8th May last. He was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. T.F. Black, 97, High Street, Ventnor, and was previously reported wounded and missing.

Friday, May 9, 1919 Page 2 

IN MEMORIAM
BLACK. - In loving memory of Dudley Hammond Black, 2nd Lieutenant, King's Liverpool Regiment, killed May 08th, 1918.

Soldiers Effects to father Thomas Fraser, Pension record does not have any award.

His father died in the December quarter of 1931, aged 74. His death registered on the Isle of Wight.

His mother died in the December quarter of 1951, aged 94. Her death registered on the Isle of Wight.

Dudley is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

St Lawrence Church

Ventnor Holy Trinity Church,

Isle Of Wight County War Memorial Carisbrooke, Newport , Isle Of Wight.

We currently have no further information on Dudley Hammond Black, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.