Robert and his wife Ida now had eight children from 1 to 12 years old. There had been news that changes were being made to the conscription law to include married men. So Robert moved his family moved out of the butchers and in to 1 Station Villas Pontesbury in Shropshire. 

By 25th May 1916 the Government began conscripting all married men to fight in France and so Robert joined the army. He joined the 2nd Battalion Worcester Regiment. The 2nd Battalion Worcester had been fighting in France since 1914 and in May 1916 the Battalion were preparing with others for the great attack on the Somme.

Robert and the other new recruits were shipped out from Southampton to Boulogne in France, and from there by train to join the regiment to prepare for the attack. On 8th July 1916 the whole battalion took a train from Lillers Station to Saleux Station south of Amien. From there they marched to The Somme. Moral was high because the countryside of Picardy was beautiful and maybe reminded them of home.

They marched to Becorde and trained in readiness for the opening of the great attack. Ahead of them was a hill with a dense wood at the top. It was called High Wood and it was full of Germans. It was the German front line.

The 2nd Battalion Worcester Regiment joined with several other army regiments and formed a Brigade.

On 15 July 1916 the Brigade marched Eastward past Bazentin-le-Grand and formed up in the valley due south of High Wood.

High Wood 15th July 1916

All regiments from the Brigade were involved with many attempts to take High Wood but the Germans had a good vantage point from the high ridge of the wood. Eventually a company from the 2nd Battalion Worcester Regiment had penetrated the wood and dug into trenches. The message in the official war diaries was that the "Worcesters are standing firm."

1300 soldiers from the Brigade were killed in action during this action.

After this wave of fighting the British Line moved back from High Wood down Upper Road to East of Bazantin-le-Petitand made ready at the ridge by the Windmill for a new attack. 

After 3 days of intermittent shooting the order came to prepare for a second attack on High Wood. By evening on July 19th orders came to move forward towards High Wood. The Brigade charged and a battle ensued. There was heavy fighting and casualties.

On 20th July 1916 at 3.30am during a dark night the battalions of the Brigade plunged into High Wood.

Robert and his comrades fought hard  through the thickets and dense wood. Later after dark the Germans counter-attacked in great strength and finally forced the attacking troops out of the northern portion of High Wood. 

Later, at 9:30pm on 21st July 1916 orders came for those left in High Wood to fall back to the Windmill ridge and relieve other soldiers who had been fighting from the Windmill across the German Switch Line.

Robert and his comrades made their way in the early dusk, down Upper Road towards the Windmill, to relieve soldiers of the 20th Manchester there. The Germans saw them and fired a barrage of gas-shells as they moved down the slope.

The Battle for High Wood 1916

Robert Madeley and other comrades died of gas poisoning as the gas bombs rained down on them.

At 10pm orders came to relieve those left of 2nd Battalion Worcester Regiment at the Windmill, and in the early hours of 22 July 1916 they marched out of battle and went into bivouac at Becourt.

From there tramped onward to a prepared bivouac camp West of the Ancre, between Albert and Dernancourt. The 2nd Battaliony stayed there to the end of the month resting and training.

During the attack on High Wood from the 15th July to 19th July 1916 there were 26 soldiers who were killed during the action from the 2nd Battalion Worcester Regiment. Robert Madeley was one of them. 131 soldiers were wounded and 30 others were missing in the action.

In October 1916 the Battle for High Wood was finally won after sustained fighting. Robert was buried in Mericourt-l'Abbe Communal Cemetery Extension.

He died a hero.

UK Commonwealth War Graves Register 1916

Mericourt-l'Abbe Communal Cemetery

Grave Reference

II. D. 4.

Mericourt-l'Abbe Communal Cemetery Plot