Frank Granville Ball

2^nd Lieutenant, East Surrey Regiment

Frank Granville Ball was a student at Alleyn's until 1907 and lived at Court Lane, Dulwich with his parents, John and Eliza. He had two brothers, William and Alfred, and a sister, Annie. After leaving school, Frank found employment with the London Joint Stock Bank where he worked until the outbreak of war in August 1914 when he decided to join the British Expeditionary Force. After being found fit for service, he joined the Middlesex Regiment as a Private and embarked for overseas duty on the Western Front.

During his time overseas, Frank saw service in France where he was quick to display a natural ability for leadership in the field. This led to him being recommended for a commission and after receiving the necessary officer training, he was granted the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. After being promoted, Frank was transferred to serve with the East Surrey Regiment who were in desperate need of more officers. He continued to serve on the Western Front with his new regiment until being wounded in action in June 1916. After recovering, he rejoined the East Surrey just in time to take part in the major British offensive on the Somme in July 1916. During this fighting on the Somme, he was killed in action on 16^th August 1916 at Guillemot.

After the First World War came to an end in 1918, Frank's family received a Memorial Medallion to commemorate his death. These bronze medallions were to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire servicemen who were killed as a result of the war. The medallion, which pictured Britannia holding a trident and standing with a lion, was engraved with the name of the fallen servicemen along with the inscription 'He died for Freedom and Honour' around the outside. Frank's memorial plaque is pictured above right. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.