Edward Mark Dudlestone was born 3 January 1895. He was the third child of Thomas and Mary Dudlestone. His father worked as a labourer in a tannery. His mother would have 8 children – Thomas (1890), Annie (1892), Edward (1895), George (1897), Mary (1899), Ellen (1900), Abigail (1901) and Catherine (1903) – 6 of whom survived childhood. The family had lived at 28 Bethel Terrace, Albert Road, Oswestry and by 1911 had moved to 17 Rope Walk, off Albert Road. By the outbreak of war they were back living at 4 Castle Square on Albert Road. Edward began work as an errand boy for a clothier but then started an apprenticeship as a coach painter at the railway works.

Edward enlisted in the 2/7 Bn Royal Welsh Regiment on 25 August 1916 – this was a cyclist battalion. He then transferred into the Royal Navy in June 1917. He went over to France on 4 July 1917 and, after spending time at training and base camps, joined Nelson Battalion Royal Naval Division on 28 August 1917. He was wounded on 31 December during the action at Welsh Ridge in the very last days of the Battle of Cambrai and died the same day at 48 Casualty Clearing Station at Ytres. His mother was informed he had been ‘dangerously wounded’ on 1 January – 2 days before his 22^nd birthday, his death was confirmed on 12 January. Edward is buried at Rocquigny Equancourt Road British Cemetery. Edward is also commemorated on the war memorial at Our Lady and St Oswald’s Church Oswestry.

His elder brother, Thomas, served in 2 Bn KSLI as a regular, he had seen action during the first few months of 1915 when he was wounded and subsequently discharged. He survived the war.

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