HARTLEBURY, Frederick

Frederick Hartlebury was the son of Thomas and Eliza Hartlebury of 17 Great Hill, Dudley. He probably served in the Territorials but in 1916 he was with the 10th Battalion in the 19th Division. From the start of the 1916 Battle of the Somme to the Third Battle of Ypres they had been in the heart of battle. By early 1918 Frederick Hartlebury had been promoted to Sergeant and the Worcesters were facing the Hindenburg Line near Cambrai and anticipating what became the German Spring offensives. The Worcester were in the reserve position when the huge attack came on the 21st March and did not suffer too seriously on the first day of the German advance. Early on the 22nd the 'grey avalanche' attacked again and, despite local successes, the Worcesters were driven back with heavy losses. These included Sergeant Frederick Hartlebury who was killed in action on this day. He was 23 years of age and is commemorated on the Arras and Dudley Memorials.