FRANK HITCHMAN was serving as a Private in the 5th (Service) Battalion, The Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry when he was killed in action on the 24th August 1916. He was aged 18 and is buried in Delville Wood Cemetery in Longueval France.

He was the son, one of six children, of William and Fanny Hitchman of 6, Guildhall Place, Chipping Norton.

The 5th Battalion arrived in France in May 1915 as part of the 42nd Brigade in 14th (Light) Division. During the Action of Hooge in 1915 the Division had the misfortune to be the first to be attacked by flamethrowers. They then took part in the Battle of Delville Wood from 15th July 1916, part of the Battle of the Somme. On 23rd August they occupied trenches on the edge of Delville Wood. On the 24th they attacked and captured German trenches in the wood. They took 200 German prisoners and killed or wounded 300 others. The Battalion lost 41 men including Private Hitchman.

Steve Kingsford