Military History

Shirley is listed as being killed in action on16th January 1917 and in the absence of online war diaries the Worcestershire Regiment website tells us that:

Throughout the first fortnight of 1917 the gunfire of the British artillery increased in intensity, while preparations were made for a systematic attack on the Hai Salient. After a fortnight in the flanking defences the Battalion was relieved in the flanking defences on 11 Jan 1917 by the 37th Dogras and they marched back to Worcester City camp where the Battalion remained in reserve until January 16^th.

On January 15^th the Battalion again took over from the 7th North Staffordshire in the same position on the right of the line, abutting on the banks of the Hai.

In preparation for attack on the Hai Salient a system of trenches was now being prepared in front of the nullah by the Pointed Ruin. Those trenches were constructed in successive parallel lines, to act as assembly trenches for the proposed attack.

Their construction was pushed on with all speed, by sapping in daylight and by digging in the open at night, however digging by night was very dangerous,  and the digging parties were under the close fire of the enemy and casualties were frequent, especially among the subalterns in charge of the work with 2/Lieut. P. W. Harrington being killed on the night of January 15th/16th and 2/Lieut. A. A. Pine killed on the following night.

By 21 January half of the gap between the Pointed Ruin and the apex of the Hai Salient had been covered and the new trenches were within 300 yards of the enemy's front line, making an assault possible. The new trenches stretched row behind row were named Queen's Trench, King's Trench & Emperor's Trench. Headquarters of the 9th Worcestershire were established in the front line by the river bank.