Sjt Fritz was born in 1880 in either Westminster or Mayfair, the records are unclear. At the outbreak of the World War 1, 4th Battalion The Royal Fusiliers mobilised for the Western Front and landed at Le Havre on 13 August 1914. On the morning of 23 August 1914, the battalion was north of Mons, holding outposts along the canal at Nimy. The Germans attacked with at least four battalions of infantry as well as cavalry and artillery. The battalion suffered heavy casualties at the bridges over the canal from rifle and artillery fire. Practically all the machine gun detachment under Lieutenant ( Lt ) Maurice James Dease VC, was killed or wounded. Lt Dease was wounded multiple times and was eventually killed. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions that day.

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