Current Information:

Age-25

1, Arthur Road, Stoke Newington

Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres, France

The First World War saw an enormous growth in the size of the British army, not just in the infantry and artillery but also in all of the other branches including the Royal Engineers, without whom the war could not have been fought. The engineers were responsible for the maintenance of all the supply routes to the front line including roads, bridges, canals, railways. They looked after the telephones and the embryonic wireless system and they made sure that there was a water supply. They designed and built the fortifications both in the front line and further back, including gun emplacements and they were responsible for all tunnelling and mining work. Each division usually had three Field Companies attached to them and when an attack went in so did the engineers to help consolidate any gains made. 

Frederick Grayling died from wounds on 27th March, 1915, while serving with the  1st (London) Field Company of the Royal Engineers (later renamed the 509th Field Company), part of 6th Division, which arrived in France in September, 1914 and remained on the Western Front throughout the war.  As yet there is no information as to where and on what date he was wounded. In March, 1915, 6th Division were holding the line  around Armentières.