Private 10725 Frederick Hales, served as Private 10725 Robert Eachus

Photograph courtesy of John Scott.

Killed in Action on Saturday, 25th September 1915, age unknown.
Commemorated on Panel 73 to 76 of Loos Memorial, Pas De Calais, France.

1st Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment. 22nd Brigade of 7th Division.

Son of Mr Robert Hales and step-son of Mrs Eliza Hales (formerly Payne), of 41 James Turner Street, Winson Green, Birmingham.
Born: Dudley Port, Enlisted: Guildford, Surrey, Resident: Birmingham.

First landed France & Flanders, 1st June 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War' but served under an Alias.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2941720/

Genealogical Data

Marriage of Samuel Robert Hales and Eliza Payne registered December quarter 1900 in Birmingham.

1901 Census
77 Eva Road, Winson Green, Birmingham.
Samuel R. Hales (48, Bricklayer, born Birmingham), his wife Eliza (46, born Dudley Port), Samuel’s step-son: James Ernest Payne (18, Dress Making, born Smethwick) and step-daughter Alice Payne (16, Jewel Case maker, born Smethwick) and son Freddie Hales (9, born Smethwick).

1911 Census
41 James Turner Street, Winson Green, Birmingham.
R. (Robert) Hales (58, Bricklayer’s Labourer, born Birmingham), his wife Eliza (56, born Dudley Port), Ernest Hales (28, General Labourer, born Smethwick) and Frederick Hales (19, Clockmaker, born Smethwick).

Personal Data

Frederick Hales served under an alias of Robert Eachus, it is not known why. The clue to this is given in his Pension Card which also shows his parent's address as 41 James Turner Street which ties in with the 1911 Census.

It is questionable if Frederick Hales has a Tipton connection. 'Soldiers Died in the Great War' records him as born Dudley Port, but both the 1901 and 1911 censuses record him as being born Smethwick.

At the time of Frederick's death his army pay and allowances had been overpaid. The records show that his next of kin were informed of this debit balance, but not that they were requested to re-pay the balance. His War Gratuity was £3/10/0d (3 pounds and 10 shillings), this was paid to his father, Mr Robert Hales, in November 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Frederick had enlisted in approximately September 1914.

On 20th November 1916, Frederick's step-mother, Mrs Eliza Hales of 41 James Turner Street, Winson Green, was refused a Dependant's Pension and was instead awarded a gratuity for an unnamed sum. This was despite being described as "wholly incapacitated".

Action resulting in his death

Frederick Hales (serving as Robert Eachus) had enlisted in August or September 1914 and arrived in France on 1st June 1915. The 1st South Staffs, in 22nd Brigade of 7th Division, had seen action at the battles of Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Ridge, and Festubert, before Frederick arrived; his first action would have been the Battle of Loos where he was to lose his life.

More detail of the Battle of Loos follows, but in summary: the 1st South Staffords rose to their feet at 6.28am, and moved steadily forward against an almost impregnable position immediately north of the Vermelles-Hulluch road, towards the Hulluch Quarries. After suffering heavy casualties, they took the German front and second lines. Those remaining moved on, and with other units mixed up with them, captured the Hulloch Quarries. Unfortunately the Quarries were lost to a German counter-attack overnight.

10 Officers and 125 Other Ranks of the 1st South Staffords lost their lives on that day, including 4 men of Tipton: Frederick Hales (serving as Robert Eachus), Arthur Greenfield, George Withington, and John Pulley. Most of the South Staffs casualties have no known grave and are commemorated on the Loos Memorial; this includes Frederick. Of the Tipton men, only John Pulley has a known grave and he is buried in Fouquieres Churchyard Extension.


From the diary of the 1st South Staffords

24 September
In trenches at Noyelles. At 2130, Battalion moved to front line trenches at G10b prior to attack. It rained heavily about 2000. The Battalion received orders to attack the German fortified position at 0630. During the night it rained in torrents, and the trenches were half full of water. At 2200, the Battalion left the trenches at Noyelles, and moved forward through Vermelles (which was in ruins, and was occupied thickly by Field Artillery), through the maze of trenches to its position. The mud was knee deep. Everyone was pretty wet and muddy by the time our position in the line was reached.

25 September
The Battalion was in position about midnight, distributed as follows:

'C' Company in the front line trench. 184 men under Lt William Cooper.
'A' Company in first support, about 80 yards behind 'C'. 176 men under Capt Henry J. de Trafford.
'D' Company in second support, another 80 yards behind 'A'. 184 men under Capt Claude Limbery.
'B' Company in the old British trenches 50 yards behind 'D'. 185 men under Lt Henry Burke.

The Battalion strength was therefore 729 Other Ranks plus 21 officers plus the Medical Officer.

The line occupied by the Battalion was 300 yards long, facing nearly due east. The German line we were told to attack was about 450 yards long and strongly fortified, powerfully strengthened with flank defence. In front was exceptionally thick wire, and strong posts. There were small redoubts, manned with numerous machine guns, at intervals, and the left flank was enfiladed by a variety of fire from Hohenzollern Fort and Fosse 8.

The distance to be traversed was approximately 500 yards. Behind the German front line were communication trenches and a powerful 2nd line. Behind that on higher ground were the Quarries, and further on Cite St Elie.

The 20th Brigade were on our right, with 21st Brigade in support. The 1st Battalion South Staffs went into action at 6.28 am on the first day. The order to "Get ready to charge" came down the line, and Lt. W. Cooper instructed the scouts and wire-cutters to advance. Straight afterwards, 'C' Company climbed up the ladders and moved on through the dense smoke screen made by the British with smoke bombs, smoke candles and gas. The forbidding gloom was darkened even more by a thick cold mist and drizzling rain.

The Battalion War Diary recorded that: "Lt. W. Cooper led his men on with the utmost gallantry, and was killed on the German wire. He was a most gallant Officer, loved and respected by all ranks. 'A' Company came on splendidly, ably led by Captain Henry de Trafford, who behaved with the greatest coolness and daring. He fell on the German wire, and his last words were, 'Don't mind me; push ahead.' Truly he and Lt. Cooper, and the other brave Officers, N.C.Os and men, who fell on this fateful day, deserve the undying gratitude of their country and their Regiment. Lt. Bell, with 'A' Company, did excellent work, and proved himself-as at Festubert-a leader of men. 'D' Company, led by Captain O. Limbery, did gallant work under their young commander, who, with many others, was wounded. 'B' Company, under Lt. H. J. Burke, was the Reserve Company in fourth line, and were very well led by this young Officer, who displayed much bravery and keenness. He was, unfortunately, killed during the advance."

There is very little to describe about the actual assault, but the facts stand out very clearly. To make a long story short, the gallant 1st South Staffords rose to their feet at 6.28am, advanced in extended order - about 3 paces interval between each man - and moved steadily forward against this almost impregnable position. They stormed it, and took the second or support line. And what remained of this magnificent old regiment moved on, and with other units mixed up with them, captured the Quarries. Some of them, with their Commanding Officer, went on, up to about 50 yards of the German position in Cite St Elie. Unhappily, they had to pull back in the face of a strong German counter attack.

Lt.-Col. R.M. Ovens (Commanding 1st South Staffs) later complained of "..suffering terribly from uncut wire.." and how "..becoming a casualty seemed only a matter of time."

The Battalion lost in this attack about the following number:
430 NCOs and men killed or wounded, out of 729
9 officers killed, 8 wounded (1 died), and 1 gassed, of 21 who went into action.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.