In May 1917 the news reached Malvern that L/Cpl J Fielder of the Royal Canadian Regiment who was reported missing on the 8/10/16 was killed on that date. He was 19 and the grandson of the late Mr and Mrs W Hayes and nephew of Mrs Baker with whom he lived for some years at Scarborough House, North Malvern Road.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website states: “Grandcourt village was reached by part of the 36th (Ulster) Division on the 1st July, 1916, and occupied without fighting by patrols of the Howe Battalion early in February, 1917. To the South-East of it is Courcelette, taken by the 2nd Canadian Division on the 15th September, 1916. Regina Trench was a German work, captured for a time by the 5th Canadian Brigade on the 1st October, 1916; attacked again by the 1st and 3rd Canadian Divisions on the 8th October; taken in part by the 18th and 4th Canadian Divisions on the 21st October; and finally cleared by the 4th Canadian Division on the 11th November, 1916.”

Another grandson of Mr and Mrs was also killed during the Great War. Born in Brighton, 30 year-old Lieutenant Bertram Hayes Fielder, 7th Infantry Battalion, 1st Canadian Division was killed in action on the 27th September 1918; strangely he is not commemorated on the Malvern Library Memorial. He was the son of William and Emily Eliza Fielder, of 521, Wilson St., Victoria West, British Columbia, Canada. He is buried at Sains-Les-Marquion which was captured by the 1st Canadian Division on the 27th September, 1918.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission 2002
Malvern News 5/5/17, 26/10/18
Berrows Worcester Journal Picture Supplement 12/5/1917