1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment
(William) Rufus Kennard Heath (born in 1886) was one of Jive children born to William and Annie Heath of Kingswood House, near Wotton-under-Edge. His father was, for 16 years, the manager of the Co-operative Bank in Gloucester.
Rufus was educated at Katherine Lady Berkeley’s Grammar School, Wotton-under-Edge and obtained a commission into the 3rd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment on 24 February 1915.
He arrived in France in November 1915, following the Battle of Loos and transferred to the 1st Glosters. The battalion remained in the Loos sector during the hard winter of 1915/16.
At 7pm on 25 February 1916 an allied mine was exploded under Hart’s crater (itself an older mine crater). Second Lieutenant Heath was ordered to take a bombing party up to the lip of the new crater. Whilst doing so he was killed, probably by Jire from a German trench mortar or rifle grenade. His body was retrieved following the action and was buried in St Patrick’s Cemetery, Loos.
Rufus was 29 years old when he was killed and he is commemorated on the Katherine Lady Berkeley’s School Roll of Honour and also the Wotton-under-Edge War Memorial.