Frederick George Block

A Private with the 2nd Battalion, Frederick died on 24th of April 1917 at the age of 33.

Frederick was born at Kessingland in 1884, a son of George and Annie Block. He was baptised at Saint Edmund's Church, Kessingland on 30 March 1884. In 1891 his family lived at 5 Erskine Place, Lowestoft. By 1901 they were living at 187 Clapham Road and Frederick was a butcher's assistant. In 1911 Frederick lodged at 20 Cambridge Terrace, Saint Leonard's Road, Lowestoft, and he worked as a butcher's assistant. Later his parents lived at High Street, Kessingland. 

On 26 May 1912 Frederick married Edith Mary Buckles at Saint John's Church, Lowestoft. Frederick was a butcher and they both lived at 69 London Road. Later they lived at 41 Beaconsfield Road, Lowestoft.

Frederick was enlisted in the Army at Richmond, Yorkshire. Initially he served with the The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), service number G/14409. He was then transferred to the Royal Fusiliers and posted to the 1st Battalion, arriving in France on 4 March 1917. On 22 March 1917 he was posted to the 2nd Battalion.

On 23 April 1917 the 2nd Battalion moved into front line trenches at Monchy, near Arras. The next day the Battalion made an attack at the 'Blue Line', leaving the front line Shrapnel Trench at 4 p.m. During the attack the Battalion was subject to heavy machine-gun and artillery fire. By 4.45 p.m. the Battalion was very short of ammunition. At 5 p.m. patrols were sent out to establish the whereabouts of nearby units. By 5.30 p.m. reinforcements had to be called for. By 6.10 p.m. the situation had become untenable and orders given that all wounded should be taken back to Shrapnel Trench. At 6.50 p.m. orders were given to retire. 

During the attack the Battalion suffered 190 casualties. Frederick was reported missing and it was later officially accepted that he had been killed in action on 24 April. 

Frederick's brother-in-law, Alfred Crowford, died in the loss of the Steam Drifter Reliance in 1917.