Name
Frederick John Game
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/11/1918
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
201221
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VALENCIENNES (ST. ROCH) COMMUNAL CEMETERY
1 C.29
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Harpenden Town Memorial, Holy Trinity Church Memorial, Weston, North Mymms War Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, North Mymms, North Mymms Memorial Hall Memorial, Welham Green
Pre War
Frederick John was born in Weston in 1895, the son of John Game and Jane (nee Field). Fred was baptised in Weston on 21 July 1895.
From the 1911 census we see Fred John was living in Bell Bar, North Mimms with parents John, age 44, a farm labourer mother Jane, age 38. They had been married 17 years and had 5 children, 1 of whom had died. His siblings were Jane, age 13, Rhoda, age 11, and Florence Daisy, age 9. All scholars. The house had 3 rooms. All were born in Weston Herts. Frederick was working as a farm labourer, doing on odd jobs on a farm. He later lived in Harpenden.
Wartime Service
The Parish Magazine tells us that Frederick enlisted in September 1914 and went to the front on 17 March 1915. This was with 2nd Battalion of Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 12931.
Later in his service he would transfer to 4th Beds and be renumbered as 201221, In August 1915 he was recorded as sick in Hospital with scarlet fever and he returned home on leave not looking well. In January 1916 he left for Egypt where, in June 1916, he writes home saying “that he finds the sands of the desert rather trying after the green fields of old England, the heat is oppressive”.
In June 1917 he was again home on leave looking thinner and gave an account of a brush with Arabs. He returned to Palestine and then again went to France. On 10 Nov 1918 the 4th Beds attacked the village of Harmignies at 1700. During this attack Fred was wounded in the forehead and gassed.
He died two days later in Hospital in France. The War Diary for the 11th states Harmignies was captured and entered at 0100 hours, so they were still fighting almost until the Armistice..
Additional Information
War gratuity of £24. 10s and arrears of £10 4s awarded to father John. N,B. listed on memorial as J Game and with incorrect date of death.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Mike Allen, Peter Handy, Brenda Palmer
