Herbert Frank Fitt

A Rifleman with 1/5th Bn., Herbert Frank died on 31st of July 1917 at the age of 27. 

Herbert was born at Norwich on 20 February 1890, a son of Henry William (Harry) and Sarah (Sally) Fitt. He was baptised at Saint Matthew's Church, Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich, on 19 March 1890 and his family lived at Quebec Road. In 1891 his family lived at 89 Cowgate Street, Norwich, and in 1901 they lived at 173 Sprowston Road, Norwich. By 1911 they were living at 3 Eden Street, Lowestoft, and Herbert was a gas works labourer at Lowestoft gas works. Later his parents lived at Eden Villa, 2 Eden Street, Lowestoft.

In 1913 Herbert married Hilda Pearl Dawson and they lived at 146 Raglan Street, Lowestoft.

Frank enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. Initially he served with the Suffolk Regiment, service number 19887. He was transferred to The King's (Liverpool Regiment) and posted to the 1/5th Battalion in France. 

On 30 July 1917 the 1/5th Battalion were in the Potijze Sector, near Ypres. On 31 July their Brigade was to make an attack with the objective of capturing the German first and second line systems in the Frezenberg Line. The Battalion War Diary does not state what exactly happened but records that they attacked at 3.50 a.m. and had the following casualties:
Officers: 4 wounded
Other ranks: 26 killed; 105 wounded; 45 missing

Herbert was killed in action on 31 July. 

Herbert's brother Charles was killed in action at Beaucourt in November 1916 while serving with the Royal Fusiliers. His brother-in-law Wesley Dawson served with the Northumberland Fusiliers and died in 1918.