In the Ovillers Military Cemetery near La Boiselle in France, grave XII.S.8. contains the remains of Frank Couley. Lance Corporal Frank Couley 20/95 20th (1st Tyneside Scottish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers “C” Company was killed on July 1st 1916, the first day of the battle of the Somme, 35 years of age. He was the son of John and Mary Ann Couley (nee Gill) who had at least five children: • Mary Couley (b. 1872) • Margaret Ann Couley (b. 1873) • William Couley (b. 1876) • Frank Couley (b. 1881) • Joseph Couley (b. 1891) He married Catherine Sarah Batey Oliver in 1902 and they had four children: • William Couley (b. 1902) • Frank Couley (b. 1903) • Sarah Brumwell Couley (b. 1908) • Henrietta A. Couley (b. 1912) The census of 1911 records that he was employed as a labourer working in an Electrical Engineers factory. He is also commemorated on the St Lawrence Crucifix and the Book of Remembrance both now at St Silas Church, Byker, Newcastle Upon Tyne. The Newcastle Journal 11th August 1916 reported: L/cpl Frank Conley, 17, Glanton St., Newcastle and his brother Pte. W. Conley are missing. (the names have been misspelled in the newspaper) As the morning sun warmed the ground on the 1st July and broke through the mist, rays of sunshine lit the battlefield the British barrage reached a crescendo. At 07:28 the mines were fired and for some minutes soil, stones and debris rained down, the ground shook and trembled and at 07:30, “zero hour” the whistles blew and the Brigade rose from the trenches. Frank was to cross nearly eight hundred yards of no man’s land following the contour of “Mash” Valley. Immediately he went over the parapet the 1st Tyneside Scottish came under sustained fire from German machine guns in Ovillers and La Boisselle. Some lucky men managed to fight their way to the German second line but had to retire owing to heavy machine gun fire and being so few. We don’t know where Frank fell or if he even made it beyond no man’s land to the German Trenches, but his body was recovered and is now in Ovillers Military Cemetery. None of the objectives of the advance were achieved but not for lack of effort or sacrifice on the part of the Tyneside Scottish and the other battalions around them. Tragically, Franks older brother William, Private William Couley No 25/45 was in the 25th (2nd Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, which followed immediately behind his brother’s Battalion, the 1st Tyneside Scottish. He had to cover more than one thousand yards of exposed countryside in ceremonial formation before even reaching the British front line. His body was never recovered and is commemorated on Face 11B of the Thiepval Memorial.

Pauline Walker