Name
Frank Herbert Wooster (known as Herbert)
19 December 1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
19/07/1916
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
4091
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LE TOURET MILITARY CEMETERY, RICHEBOURG-L'AVOUE
III. J. 12.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Shenley Village Memorial,
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Frank Herbert Wooster (known as Herbert) was born on 19 December 1896 at Ridge Hill, Shenley, Herts, the son of James and Christina Wooster, and baptised on 15 May 1904, in the Parish of Ridge. He was one of nine children.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Ridge Hill Cottage, Shenley where his father was working as a gardener domestic. They remained at the same address in 1911 by which time his father was head gardener.
Herbert was educated at Shenley School from the age of four before transferring to the Boys' School. He left at the age of fourteen to work as a 'garden boy' at Shenley Hill. Two other men, Thomas Saville and George Gilson, also worked in the gardens at Shenley Hill but were also killed in the war and are also named on the Shenley memorial.
Wartime Service
He enlisted on 26 November 1914 in Hertford, and joined the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment. They left from Southampton on 10 July 1915 and joined the Battalion in the field in France on 14 July.
On 2 January 1916 his Company Conduct Sheet shows a charge of: 'Shaving Upper Lip contrary to orders', for which he was confined to barracks for 4 days.
Herbert was killed in action on 19 July 1916, aged 19, when a shell burst in front of him while they were raiding an enemy trench, killing him instantly. He is buried at Le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L-'Avoue, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a gratuity of £7 and pay owing of £6 12s 11d. His father received a pension of 5 shillings a week.
Frank (Herbert) is mentioned in a very thorough biography for Jack Alfred Willmott by Paul Johnson, which appears in the website’s Archive section at: HAW Archive Article
Acknowledgments
Taff Williams, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, shenleyww1.wordpress.com
