HOOD, Frederick William

Frederick Hood lived in Brierley Hill and enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery as a Driver. He served in B Battery 86th Brigade in the 19th Division. In 1916 they fought on the Somme from the first day at Albert and La Boisselle to the final struggle in November on the Ancre for Grandcourt. They assisted in the advance to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 and in the capture of the Messines Ridge in May. They were again in the front line for the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres on the 31st July. During the next day the artillery provided a creeping barrage for the opening advance near Zillebeke for the Battle of Pilkem but suffered greatly from enemy counter-battery fire. Driver Frederick Hood was killed in action and is buried in Bedford House Cemetery Enclosure 4 (VIII D 15) and commemorated on the Brierley Hill and Brierley Hill church Memorials.