Frederick Dolby was born at Hough Post Office around 1880, the son of Benjamin (shoemaker & postmaster, born Hough) & Harriet Dolby (nee Toulson).  In 1891 the family were still at the post office and Fred's sister Sarah Ann (16) was the 'letter carrier'.  Ten years later Fred was a rural postman and his sister Mary a rural postwoman; his mother had died and his father was on parish relief.

Fred married Eliza Bartram of Hough (born Herts) at Hough Church on 22 Jan 1903. They moved to Gelston where they had 2 children: William Frederick (23 Jan 1904) and Doris Ivy (18 Feb 1906).  In 1911 he was a labourer in Gelston.  He signed up with 4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment at Grantham on 11 Dec 1915, although he wasn't mobilised until 11 months later. On enlistment he's described as a baker, living in Gelston.  He was 35, 5ft 8 1/2”, 37” chest, 139lb, C of E, 'teeth fair but could do with attention'.  

After mobilisation with 4th Battalion on 14 No 1916, 242142 Pte Dolby sailed from Southampton to Le Havre on 24 Feb 1917.  He trained as a bomber (grenade thrower).  In  Aug 1917 he spent 2 weeks at an Army Rest Camp. In Oct 1917 he had 10 days leave in England.  He was reported missing in action on 21 Mar 1918, during the German attack on the Bullecourt salient.  In April he was reported as a prisoner of war at Limburg.  At the end of the war he was being held at  Kleineblittersdorf.  He was repatriated 26 Nov 1918.  On 30 Jan 1919 he was posted to the Regiment's reserve battalion.

 

Back to Military History index