He was the second son of Thomas and Martha Allen, of No. 111, Himley Rd., Eve Hill. A native of Upper Gornal, at the time of the 1911 Census the family lived in Cricket Meadow.
Dying on 30th September 1918, aged 21, of wounds received, he is buried in Haringhe (Bandaghem) Military Cemetery, which is located to the North-West of Poperinghe.
On the days before his death the 4th Worcesters were involved in offensive operations to the east of Ypres, described in the battalion war diary as the “ADVANCE ON GHELUVELT from Ypres, along MENIN ROAD”. Gheluvelt was captured on 28th September, the advance being halted at Cruisecke Crossroads. The advance continued the next day, with the ridge at Au Rossignol Cabaret being secured, and many prisoners taken. The war diary notes: “We suffered rather heavy casualties.” It is likely that Pte Allen was wounded in these operations.
He is remembered on Dudley's civic war memorial in Priory St, Dudley and on the war memorial at St James, Eve Hill.
Source: This is an extract from the book “Dudley’s 1914-1918 war memorial and the men commemorated” by J. B. E. Hale.
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