Description:The grave marks the last resting place of Freda a Harlequin Great Dane dog who was the faithful mascot of the 5th Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade (NZRB). It stands close to the Coppice Hill car park off Chase Road, near Brocton.
The New Zealanders arrived at Brocton Camp in September 1917 for training purposes. Freda was about two years old when she arrived on the Chase but it is not clear whether she accompanied the NZRB from their previous posting on Salisbury Plain or if she was more local. It is possible that she was named after the daughter of a local man who kept the Soldiers Club in Hednesford.
As a mascot Freda would take part in parades and was a familiar sight around the camp. Freda survived the war but she succumbed to disease in December 1918 and was buried at Brocton Camp. The New Zealanders nicknamed ‘The Dinks’ were based at Brocton Camp until the Rifle Brigade was disbanded in 1919.
Freda’s collar is held at the national Army Museum in Waiouru, New Zealand.
Acknowledgement: The Great War Camps of Cannock Chase (A Short Guide).