Private Fred Light is remembered with honour at the Grand-Seraucourt British Cemetery
Grave reference: 1 H 15
GRAND-SERAUCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY AISNE, FRANCE
Machine Gun Corp Memorial, Albert
Uniform button of the Machine Gun Corp
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Private Fred Light, 88292. 14th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) Died 21st March 1918
Fred Light was born the son of George and Sarah Light in Morgans Vale, Downton, on 20th April 1888. He was the 10th of 13 children. Later George and Sarah Light and their family came to live in West Grimstead. George was a Brickmaker and lived and worked at West Grimstead brickyard.
Private Fred Light had originally been part of the Dorset Regiment, Machine Gun Corp (Infantry) but became part of the 14th Battalion in March 1918 when it was first formed. The 14th Battalion was part of the 14th (Light) Divison.Sadly the massive German assault which commenced on 21 March 1918 pushed back the British lines some 30 miles and the 14th Battalion, Machine Gun Corp took such heavy casualties that it had to be disbanded. Private Fred Light was one of those casualties. For some reason his name is on a Red Cross Enquiry list; he may well have been recorded as missing in the first instant but later his body was found.
Along with Harry Bundy, Fred Light is not listed on either of the West Grimstead Rolls of Honour.
Order of Battle 14th (Light) Division c March 1918 France) General Officer Commanding Major General WH Greenley General Staff Officer Class I Lieutenant Colonel AG Bayley Assistant Adjutant & Quartermaster General Lieutenant Colonel FA Cornfield Commander Royal Artillery Brigadier General E Harding -Newman Chief Royal Engineer Lieutenant Colonel DS Collind 41st Brigade 8th (Service) Battalion The Kings Royal Rifle Corps 7th (Service) Battalion The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consorts Own) 8th (Service) Battalion The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consorts Own) 41st Trench Mortar Battery42nd Brigade 5th (Service) Battalion The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 9th (Service) Battalion The Kings Royal Rifle Corps 9th (Service) Battalion The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consorts Own) 42nd Trench Mortar Battery43rd Brigade 6th (Service) Battalion The Somerset Light Infantry 9th (Service) Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 7th (Service) Battalion The Kings Royal Rifle Corps 43rd Trench Mortar Battery XLVI & XLVII Brigades, Royal Field Artillery X.14 & Y.14 Medium Trench Mortar Batteries 14th Divisional Ammunition Columns, Royal Garrison Artillery 61st, 62nd & 89th Field Companies, Royal Engineers 14th Divisional Signal Company, Royal Engineers 11th(Service) Battalion The Kings (Liverpool Regiment) (Pioneers) 14th Battalion Machine Gun Corps 42nd, 43rd & 44th Field Ambulances, Royal Army Medical Corps 26th Mobile Veterinary Section 215th Employment Company, Labour Corps 14th Divisional Train - 100th, 101st, 102nd & 103rd Companies Army Service Corps Brigadier General RS Tempest Brigadier General GNB Forster Brigadier General PCB Skinner
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