Frank Rolling

Frank Rolling was born in London in 1896. His parents are unknown. By the age of four, he was living with an aunt and uncle, William and Grace Rolling at St Blazey, near St Austell. William farmed his own land. At some point in the next 10 years William died, and Frank and his 61 year old aunt moved to Probus. They are recorded as living along Fore Street in the 1911 census, when Frank was 14. He had followed his uncle's example, and was a farm worker.

 

When Frank enlisted he was placed in a Pioneer Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, the 10th. Pioneer battalions were specialised battalions, raised as a response to the huge demand for labour required at the front. They ideally recruited men with some sort of specialist skills, or who were handy with shovel and pick. With Frank having experience of the farm, he most likely had skills a pioneer battalion could use. They were also trained infantrymen, and required to act as such when needed.

 

Havincourt, February 1918

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The winter months were generally a "quieter" time of consolidation for both sides in the conflict. As a labour battalion, the 10" DCLI had been engaged in repairing trenches in Havincourt Wood. Havincourt is near both Arras and Cambrai, which were areas for major offensives during the course of the war. The War Dairy describes this work as "work on reclaiming Lincoln Reserve" or "work on reclaiming Rhondda Trench."

 

On the 5th February the camp of the 10th DCLI was shelled between 2am and 6am "in bursts of about 20 shells every 20 minutes, mainly 4.2s and shrapnel." One soldier was wounded during this shelling. The following night the 6", their camp was shelled much more heavily: "Camp again shelled very heavily between 1.10am and 4am; 3 guns appeared to be firing-4.2s. One shell knocked out the Batten Signal Station, killing 3 signallers (shell shocked another). Work continued as for 5th inst. Total casualties: 3 OR killed, 2 OR wounded." 

 

Based on this evidence it seems likely that Frank had been trained as a signaller for the battalion and had been one of the three men killed by a single shell.

 

Frank is buried at the Neuville-Bourjouval Cemetery, Pas de Calais, Northern France. It contains 206 graves. 

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Researched and written by Stephen Jackson