Name
Frederick Townsend
14 September 1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/05/1916
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
12319
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DOULLENS COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION NO.1
I. D. 7.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Memorial, Hemel Hempstead
Pre War
Frederick Townsend (known as Fred) was born in Hemel Hempstead, Herts on 14 September 1887, the son of William and Jane Townsend. He was baptised a month later on 19 October with his sister Clara. His mother had been married to George Hughes and had three children. When George died in 1878, she remarried to Fred's father in 1880 and they had a further six children.
On the 1891 Census, the family were living at 10 Keen's Place, Hemel Hempstead where his father was working as a bricklayer.
Fred attended Queen Street School, Hemel Hempstead, but the school log on 31 January 1895 noted that Fred had not reached Standard 1 which would be expected at his age of 7 years. The suggested reason for this was that he was 'badly fed'. His father's wages were probably insufficient to feed the large family. By the 1901 Census they had moved to 70 High Street, Hemel Hempstead, with his father still working as a bricklayer, but three of the oldest children were working and bringing in a wage, which hopefully improved the family's financial situation.
On the 1911 Census the family remained at 70 High Street, Hemel Hempstead, with his father continuing to work as a bricklayer and Fred was a labourer to a bricklayer (presumably his father).
His mother died in 1913 in Hemel Hempstead, aged 57.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war, Fred enlisted with the 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment at Hemel Hempstead in August 1914, one of the first fifteen men to join up when the recruiting office in Hemel Hempstead opened.
He completed his basic training at Cholderton, near Salisbury, Wilts and was sent to France, arriving at Le Havre on 30 July 1915. In early September he was in trenches at Foncquevillers, south west of Arras.
On 3 May 1916 the Battalion took over trenches at Monchy-au-Bois and the war diary reports that they were subjected to an intense bombardment by the enemy, followed by a raid at 3.00 am. This resulted in 66 casualties and 8 missing. Fred was one of the casualties and was taken to the 19th Casualty Clearing Station at Beauval, where his died of his wounds on 5 May, aged 28.
He is buried in the Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £7 10s and pay owing of £6 6s 9d.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelheroes.com., www.dacorumheritage.org.uk.
