Frank Covoso Dyke

A Private with 10th Bn., Frank died on 17th of November 1916 at the age of 30. 

Frank was born at Carlton Colville on 3 June 1886, a son of Abraham and Anna Dyke. In 1891 his family lived at 9 Severn Terrace, Carlton Colville. Frank was baptised at Saint Peter's Church, Kirkley, on10 April 1900 and his family lived at 16 Severn Terrace, Kirkley Run. By 1901 they were living at Worcester Terrace, Carlton Colville, and Frank was a plasterer working for his father. 

On 27 December 1910 Frank married Lilian Maria Mitchell at Saint Peter's Church, Carlton Colville. Frank was working as a labourer and they both lived at Carlton Colville. In 1911 they lived at 6 Stanley Road, Oulton Broad, and frank worked as a domestic gardener. After Frank's death Lilian married Philip Cole and lived at 14 Ethel Cottages, Kirkley. 

Frank enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. he joined the Royal Fusiliers and was posted to the 10th Battalion in France. 

On 16 November 1916 the 10th Battalion were ordered to attack and capture Munich Trench, Frankfurt Trench and Leave Avenue and establish a strong point. Then they were ordered occupy Muck Trench, from Leave Avenue to Railway Avenue with four strong points. During the night of 16/17 November an encounter with the enemy led to six casualties in the Battalion.
The 17 November ‘passed without remarkable incident: some enemy shelling’. Reinforcements were sent to the left post in Muck Alley. During the night of 17/18 November the machine-gun team at left post in Muck Trench was knocked out by a shell with the officer in charge and nearly all the men being killed. 
At 6.10 a.m. on 18 November an attack by 32 Division commenced and all the parties of the Battalion stormed their objectives. All but one made good, but due to 32Division’s lack of progress the Battalion’s parties had to be withdrawn. 

The Battalion lost five men killed, including Frank, on 17 November (these were possibly the men of the machine-gun team) and one officer and 19 men killed on 18 November.