LAUGHER Frank

The birth of Frank Laugher is registered in the March Quarter 1896 under the Bromsgrove Registration District.

Frank Laugher enlisted as a Private in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 3rd December 1915 at Bromsgrove when he was placed on the army reserve. On his attestation paper he gave his address as All Saints Road, Bromsgrove and his age as 20 years 0 months. At the time of his attestation Frank was 5 feet 7¾ inches tall.

Frank was mobilised on 6th May 1916 and posted overseas on 30th August 1916. Over the next the next two months he had several periods of illness concluding with influenza for which he was admitted to hospital on 4th November 1916. He was discharged from hospital on 2nd December 1916. On 17th April 1917 he joined the 11th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in readiness for the Battle of Arras. He was reported missing on 29th April 1917 whilst taking part in the fighting. On 19th August 1917 Frank was reported as a prisoner of war in Germany having been captured at Arras on 28th April 1917. He died of sickness as a prisoner of war at Kriegs Gef Lazarett at Douain on 17th September 1917.

Frank’s possessions and his British War Medal and Victory Medal were sent to Samuel Laugher, All Saints Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

The following information is courtesy and copyright of Frank’s great niece, Judith Laugher:
Frank was born on the 30th November 1895, the son of Samuel and Jane Laugher nee Fisher. He was brother to Thomas Henry, Leonard Alfred, Albert Victor, Alice, Lillie, Christopher (my Grandfather), Daisy Elizabeth (died as an infant), Walter Norman and Daisy Evelyn. In 1911 he was living at home with his parents and siblings, Fernleigh Villas, All Saints Road, Bromsgrove, aged 15 and was a Grocers assistant. As a boy he was a member of the All Saint’s Church Choir. He had worked at the Home and Colonial Stores and at Neales tea stores, Bromsgrove. He was working at Austin’s before enlistment. The Prisoner of war camp Frank was taken to was Limburg.