Current Information:

Born-Kings Cross

The 4th Rifle Brigade were in India when the war began in August, 1914 but they were soon on their way home and in November reached Winchester where they became part of 80 Brigade, 27th Division. The following month the division crossed to France. On 6th January, 1915, 4th Rifle Brigade went into the trenches for the first time when they took over some of the front line from French troops near Voormezeele to the south of Ypres and where they stayed until relieved on 8th January, the day on which Richard De Fraine was killed. As yet there is no further information concerning his death. The attrition rate among British soldiers on the Western Front was on average 300 each day and 60% of these were as a result of shellfire. When not involved in an actual battle it was either shell fire or a sniper’s bullet that caused most deaths and injuries.