LACEY, Frederick

Frederick Lacey was the son of Mrs Louisa Fradgley of 20 Little Cottage Street, Brierley Hill. He volunteered for the South Staffords and joined the 2/6th Battalion. This Battalion spent some time in 1916 putting down the Dublin Easter Rising and then went to the Western Front and the Somme. In 1917 they were reinforcements in the November Battle of Cambrai and reached Bourlon Wood. Here they faced on 30th November the full force of the German counter-attack. They retreated into the Wood but were heavily shelled with gas. In the misty, damp weather the gas lingered for a long time and the casualties were very heavy. They included Private Frederick Lacey who was 28 years of age and is commemorated on the Cambrai and Brierley Hill Memorials.