Current Information:

Age-40

41, Elm Bank Mansions, Bames

Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery, Belgium

The exact circumstances of the death of Frederick Long, who was killed on 31st July, 1917, are not known but artillery men faced many dangers and during the course of the war nearly 50,000 of them were killed. Their gun batteries were targeted by the enemy’s guns which accounted for many of their casualties. Others were sent forward to act as ‘spotters’ which meant going forward to the front line and signalling back to the guns necessary changes in target and other vital information. Keeping the batteries supplied with ammunition was a dangerous task as the enemy guns would target the known supply routes, especially at night. Brigade Diaries rarely shine any light on casualties sustained, unless of course they were officers and even then information is sparse.

33 Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery was a unit of Britain’s pre-war regular army and went to France in August 1914 as part of 8th Division which, on 31st July, 1917, the opening day of the Third Battle of Ypres, attacked from a position due east of Ypres, south of the Ypres-Roulers railway.