Private Frank Bressington, was Killed in Action on the 1st.May 1917, Aged 34, while serving with the 7th.Battalion, The Royal Berkshire Regiment. According to the 7th.Battalion War Diary entry for the 1st.May 1917, Frank was the only man of the Battalion who was killed in action on this day. In early May 1915 the 7th. went to Fovant near Salisbury to join 78th Brigade where at last they got khaki uniforms (previously they were wearing blue post office uniforms as these were all that had been available). On 21st July the 78th Brigade moved to Sandhill Camp near Warminster to join 26th Division and on 15th September they embarked for France. In France the 7th battalion were attached to other units for familiarization at Ailly sur Somme and Aubigny but on the 9th November they were posted to Salonika and departed from Marseilles on the 11th November on the MT Arcadian. They reached Alexandria on the 18th and Salonika on the 24th. At the end of the year the battalion were in trenches at Yailajik. For the first few months of 1916, they were engaged in Training and by May they finished constructing the defensive line when they moved to Redan Camp where most of the men caught either dysentery or Malaria or both. On the 22nd July they started a march north to take over lines between Lake Doiran and the River Vardar which had been held by the French. The next few months were spent on patrols and capturing hills one by one with the odd raid on the Bulgar lines to capture prisoners. The Battalion was in the Front Line on Christmas Day. The next few months of 1917 were spent on patrols and capturing hills one by one with the odd raid on the Bulgar lines to capture prisoners. It was not until April 1917 that they began serious offensives. On the 24th they were one of the assaulting battalions when a major attack was launched near Doiron. At the end of these operations the casualty figures were 16 killed, 225 Wounded and 36 missing. 7th.Battalion War Diary entry for the 1-5-1917 reported: Hostile planes passed over the sector during the day, one was brought down by anti aircraft fire when it attacked observation balloon another was badly damaged and only just got back to its own lines. Practically no hostile shelling all day. Our patrols brought in 4 bodies also 1 damaged Lewis Gun. 4 HE (4.2) fired on to BERKS REDOUBT. Casualty 1 OR killed. Remarks. 2 OR sick to hospital. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Bressington, of Staple Hill, Bristol Husband of Maria Bressington (b.31-7-1884), and father to Evelyn May (b.6-7-1902) & Gilbert Francis (b.15-8-1904) of 4, Hayward Rd., Staple Hill, Bristol.
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