Private Frank Roffey
| Date of Birth | c. 1894 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 22 |
| Date of Death | 1 July 1916 |
| Service Number | 3606 |
| Military Service | 2nd Battalion, London Regiment |
| Merton Address | 5 Byegrove Road |
| Local Memorial | Christ Church, Colliers Wood |
Additional Information
Frank was born in Balham in about 1894, the son of James and Sarah Roffey. His father worked first as a platelayer (someone who inspects and maintains railroad tracks), and later as a gardener. The family lived on Byegrove Road in Mitcham for at least a decade, moving from number 13 to a four room house at number 5 by the time of the 1911 census.
Frank had three older brothers: William, Ernest, and Walter, and a younger sister named Amy. His older brothers were working as carmen and milk carriers by 1911, but Frank was 17 when the census was taken, and is not listed as having an occupation at that time.
Frank enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers, and disembarked with his unit in France on 25 August, 1915. He was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme and is buried at Gommecourt British Cemetery No. 2. His grave inscription reads, “A Loving Son and Brother For Ever in Our Thoughts.”