Name
Frederick Elderton
1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
25/09/1915
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
6912
Border Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LOOS MEMORIAL
Panel 68 and 69
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
South Mimms Village Memorial,
Not on the Shenley memorials
Pre War
Frederick Elderton was born in Shenley, Hertfordshire in 1889, the son of Mary Elizabeth Elderton and one of five children.
On the 1891 Census he was living with his single mother and grandparents Nathaniel and Martha, as well as siblings Edith, Nathaniel and Chrissie, in New Road, Shenley, where his grandfather worked as a blacksmith, and his mother as a charwomen.
They had moved to South Mimms village by 1901 and were living in part of Suffolk House, at which time 14 year old Frederick was working as a farm boy. His grandmother died in 1901 and his grandfather in 1904 and on the 1911 Census Frederick was living with his mother at South Mimms where he was working as general labourer and his mother as laundress. (N.B. None of his siblings were living with them and his mother is recorded as widow and single having given birth to two children, although previous censuses would suggest there were five).
Wartime Service
Frederick enlisted in Barnet, Herts and joined the Border Regiment, serving with the 2nd Battalion, which landed at Zeebrugge, Belgium on 6 October 1914.
He died of wounds on 25 September 1915, aged 26, probably following action at the Battle of Loos. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £6 and pay owing of £9 11s 5d. She also received a pension of five shillings a week. (His mother's address on pension records was given as Lower Village, South Mimms.)
His brother Nathaniel also fought with the Border Regiment having enlisted on 13 August 1906. He served with the 1st Battalion and was discharged from the Army on 17 March 1916 as being unfit for service, and was awarded Silver War Badge, No. 8696.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Brian Lodge
