Name
Frederick William Hilton
1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/11/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
292711
Northumberland Fusiliers
1st/7th Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 10 B 11 B and 12 B.
France
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Frederick was born in 1896 in Hitchin and his parents were Cornelius and Elizabeth Hilton.
In 1901 the family were living at Pillinge, Wootton, Beds. Present were both parents: Cornelius (34) and Elizabeth (33), with his father working as a cowman on farm. The children were: Arthur (14), George (13), Hilda (11), Frederick (5), Wilfred (3) and Albert aged 3 months.
By 1911 the family had moved to 25 Wratten Rd, Hitchin, Herts. Present were both parents, Cornelius now working as a groom and rose gardener. The census recorded they had been married for 25 years with 12 children, of whom 2 had died. The children now listed were: Arthur (22), Elizabeth (16), Frederick, now 15 and an errand boy at a joiners, Wilfred (12), Albert (10), Walter (8) and Thomas (5).
Officially he was recorded as enlisting in Hertford, Herts
Wartime Service
IHis National Roll of the Great War entry, probably placed by his family, suggests that he volunteered in March 1915 and went to France later that year and therefore was entitled to the 1915 Star as well as the service and victory medals, however his medal records do not list the 1915 Star, which suggests that he did not go overseas until 1916.
Initially Frederick joined the Hertfordshire Regiment with the Regimental Number 4763. Later he was posted to the l/7th Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers and received service number 7/7223 and later 292711 – probably early in 1917.
This Battalion was part of the 49th Brigade in the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. He fought in several engagements until he was reported missing and later as having been killed in action in France.
His official date of death coincided with an attack at Gird Lines and Hook Sap in the Somme Sector. The advance appeared to be a success, but fire from Butte Trench made communications impossible and nothing further was heard from the leading Companies. In face he was first reported as missing and later as assumed killed on or since 14 November 1917
He has no known grave and is remembered on Piers 10, 11 and 12, Face B of the great Thiepval Memorial to the Missing in France.
Additional Information
After his death £2 18s 3d was authorised to go to his father on 26 March 1918. Later, a war gratuity of £7 was authorised to be paid to him on 19 November 1919.
His pension cards record Elizabeth. his mother, as his dependant, living at Moormead, Hitchin. This was altered to his father at 260 Old Park Road, Hitchin. The pension awarded was 6s a week from 10 July 1917.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines, Jonty Wild, Dean Malpass
