Page 71 - WHO'S WHO OF DUDLEY ROTARY

he was a young man the family moved to North Staffordshire and then to Guernsey where they
became ‘market growers’, but a few years later Thomas emigrated to Saskatchewan, Canada. In
1906 he successfully applied for Homestead land near Regina and started farming. Then came
the First World War. In August 1914 he enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force,
by which time he was an ‘Agricultural Expert’ with the provincial Department of Agriculture. As
a Lieutenant with the 5th Battalion he was sent to the Western Front but in April 1915, when
fighting in the trenches at Ypres, he received a shrapnel wound to an ankle and a few days later
a serious gunshot wound to the left leg. After some months in hospital at Whittington Barracks
near Lichfield - during which he was promoted to Captain - he returned to Canada, but six
months later returned to fight in France with the 68th Canadian Battalion. In May 1917 his old
injury flared up so he was brought back to England. In July 1917, after a short period of desk
duties at a Canadian Machine Gun Corps depot in Sussex he was granted a medical discharge
(and gratuity of $50!) and transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service for the duration of the War.
In 1919 he was sent to Budapest as British Food Commissioner charged with organising supplies
to the population. Two years later, still in Budapest, he transferred to the Danube Navigation
Company in charge of its local fleet of steamers, tugs and barges. He returned to live in North
Surrey/ South London from the early 1930s until his death except for his brief period in Dudley.

219 Walter Richard WORTHINGTON, MA (Cantab) (1890-1968) (Elected 26.9.1938; resigned
16.6.1941.) Education (Intermediate). Headmaster of the Dudley Intermediate School, Blowers
Green Road, Dudley (later the Sir Gilbert Claughton Grammar School) from 1930 to about 1955.
He grew up in Leamington Spa and became an elementary school teacher straight from leaving
school. After three years he won a scholarship to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge but his studies
were interrupted a year later by the outbreak of the First World War. He joined the Royal
Warwickshire Regiment, seeing action in France and Italy, being wounded twice, and achieving
the rank of Lieutenant. He completed his studies and returned to teaching, starting at Stockton-
on-Tees. He may have worked there until coming to Dudley. During the last War he joined the
Royal Artillery as a Lieutenant, was transferred to the Intelligence Corps in 1942, then to the
Army Educational Corps in 1945, finishing with the honorary rank of Major. He remained with
the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers until obliged to retire in 1957. He lived at Kingswinford
and then in Stourbridge before retiring to Amblecote. In his younger days he was a keen
sportsman and athlete.

220 Christopher Beverley James BARNSLEY, JP (1912-1997) (Elected c.10.1938; resigned 24.7.1950.)
Director of the family firm John Barnsley & Sons, lifting tackle manufacturers and brass and
ironfounders, of Cradley Road, Netherton and later Corngreaves Road, Cradley Heath. He
became managing director in succession to his father who died in 1944, and Chairman in 1968.
He took an active part in the firm’s management, and of J Barnsley Cranes Limited, into his 80s.
He represented Netherton Ward on Dudley Town Council from 1939 to 1946 and was an active
member of the Netherton Conservative & Unionist Club up to his death. He was appointed a
Dudley magistrate in 1958. His father-in-law was Archdeacon Arthur Shepherd, club member
#172. He lived in Netherton until 1940, then at Stourton for a few years, before settling in
Pedmore.

221 Harry Howell MARTIN (1905-1956) (Elected 2.1.1939; resigned c. November 1949 on leaving the
district.) His original classification ‘Horticulture’ was soon changed to ‘Public Parks
Administration’. He was Dudley Parks Superintendent from 1929 having previously been
Assistant Parks Superintendent in Walsall. When appointed he was just 24 years old. He was
granted Temporary Honorary Membership and excused attendance during the last War: he
enlisted with the Pioneer Corps early in 1942 - starting as Private and finishing as Major - and
will undoubtedly have seen action overseas. He left the club on becoming Parks Superintendent