Name
James George Frost
16 Sep 1980
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/08/1916
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
3/8722
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 2 C.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Bushey Town Memorial, St James’ Church Memorial, Bushey, Not on the Elstree memorials, Not on the Aldenham memorials
Pre War
Born on 16 September 1890 in Aldenham, Watford, James George (registered as George James) Frost was the son of Frederick and Fanny (née Atkins) Frost. Frederick and Fanny were married in the second quarter of 1876 (registered in the St Albans district), and at the 1881 Census were living at Totteridge with three sons, Frederick (born 1878 died 1884), Walter J (born 1879), Horace J (born 1881). Frederick was recorded as born in Little Dunham, Norfolk, Fanny born in South Mimms (or later London Colney) and the three children born in Totteridge.
At the 1891 Census, the family was living at 6, Ward’s Lane Cottages, Aldenham and included his father (age 37, employed as a domestic coachman), Fanny (age 38), Walter J (age 12), Horace J (age 10), Frederick (age 7) and George, who was 6 months old.
James married Jessie Gascoigne (born 13 Jul 1888) from School Lane, Bushey in the third quarter of 1907 in Watford district. They were to have four children; Jessie Evelyn (born 8 Mar 1908), James Henry (born 29 May 1911), Freda Rose (born 21 Jul 1912) and Lloyd Archibald (born 31 Oct 1913). Jessie (Jnr.) had been born in Bushey and the other three children in the Hendon registration district.
At the 1911 Census, they were living at 3 Cooper’s Cottages, Sudbury in Middlesex and James was employed as a domestic gardener. James was 21 years old and born in Elstree and Jessie was 22 and born in Bushey. The record also includes a daughter Jessie, aged 2, which is crossed through. Her name still appears later in James’ military pension record, so it’s assumed she was staying elsewhere on the day of the Census.
Jessie later returned to Bushey and lived at 7 Roseberry Road.
Wartime Service
James enlisted at Wembley as Private 3/8722 in the Bedfordshire Regiment, his serial number indicates 3rd Battalion and a date around late Aug /Sep 1914. After training he went to France on 3 Dec 1914 in a draft of reinforcements arriving on 8 Dec 1915 at Wulvergem, Ypres to serve with the 1st Battalion in France and Flanders. (Note: James’ service number is incorrectly referenced as ‘3/82/22’ in the Ancestry database).
James was wounded (forehead) on 19 May 1916 but after treatment at 48 Field Ambulance he returned to Duty on 21 May 1916. He was listed as Missing on 11 Oct 1916 and later presumed killed in action on 27 Aug 1916. He remembered with honour on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. He is also commemorated on the Bushey Memorial and at St James’ Parish Church in Bushey village.
Additional Information
IWar Gratuity of £8 10s and and arrears of 2s 8d was paid to his widow. Some Information provided with the kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project – Please visit www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk.
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer, Neil Cooper
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
